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March 22, 2020 "Stepping into the Storm" - Matthew 14:22-33

Matthew 14:22-33 (NRSV)

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

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March 15,2020 "Growth Spurts" - Ephesians 1:1-2, 15-23

Note: This is one part of several weeks of sermons from this passage. The sound of the audio will abruptly shift several times in the recording to amplify and clarify as several people speak from the congregation extemporaneously.

Ephesians 1:1-2, 15-23(NRSV)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason, I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

"In the Same Way" - 1 Peter 3:1-9

A quick note:
As a white man I have approached this sermon, and the one from the previous week, with a deep appreciation that I do not know what it is like to live as a descendant of the legacy of slavery or a woman, in a world where the effects of the evils of slavery, racism, and misogyny are present and real. In the end, God did not listen to my excuses and dragged me, despite my best efforts, to confront these texts. In the end, God revealed to me that the profound message of these passages is very different than the abusive ways they have been used against others. I pray that our congregation, and others who stumble upon this sermon, might be similarly blessed.

Yours in Christ,
Paul

1 Peter 3:1-9(NRSV)

Wives, in the same way, accept the authority of your husbands, so that, even if some of them do not obey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives’ conduct, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. It was in this way long ago that the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves by accepting the authority of their husbands. Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. You have become her daughters as long as you do what is good and never let fears alarm you.

Husbands, in the same way, show consideration for your wives in your life together, paying honor to the woman as the weaker sex, since they too are also heirs of the gracious gift of life—so that nothing may hinder your prayers.

Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing.

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Amazing Wine/Ordinary People - John 2:1-11 January 12, 2014

John 2:1-11(NRSV)

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

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Dusty Deity - John 1:1-18 December 29, 2013

John 1:1-18(NRSV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.

The Gift of a Second Chance - Matthew 3:1-11 December 8, 2013

Repentance gets a bad rap. All to often we treat repentance as something that "those" other people need to do; something to say while we wag our finger scolding them.

Instead, repentance is an opportunity of grace offered to the world. The need to repent and the opportunity to repent are both present in Jesus' birth, cross, and promised return.

Matthew 3:1-11(NRSV)

Expecting the Unexpected - Matthew 25:36-44 December 1, 2013

At Christmas we celebrate the coming of Jesus as the baby born in Bethlehem. As an adult, shortly before his crucifixion, Jesus speaks of his return in power and glory and warns us to be ready. The coming of the Son of Man will catch many by surprise. We should expect it to be unexpected.

All of us have things in our life that we "should have done" and "would have done" if we knew more or knew the consequences. The season of Advent is an opportunity to take Jesus at his word and to live expecting his coming return and thereby also preparing to celebrate the reality of his birth.

Give Thanks - Philippians 4:4-6 November 24, 2013

Thankfulness is both the result of as well as the means of God opening our eyes.

For some reason most of us treat thankfulness as either a form of denial of problems or something we will only experience when we get what we want. Instead, God invites us to be thankful even in the midst of difficulty and loss. Thankfulness is not the denial of difficulty, it is living and experiencing truth in all the ups and downs of life.

Philippians 4:4-6 (NRSV)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

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Parallax - Luke 16:1-15, November 17, 2013

Our perspective affects what we see.

Luke 16:1-15(NRSV)

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’ And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they ridiculed him. So he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others; but God knows your hearts; for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God.’

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