Body and Spirit -- A Sermon for Epiphany 2B

Paul wrote these letters to a congregation filled with new converts who came out of a very different cultural context than he did. So, when they heard Paul’s message of grace and freedom, they interpreted it in light of their former lives, and what they heard was an invitation to live with reckless abandon. They heard Paul saying that no rules applied. That’s not what he intended, and so he had to address the situation brewing in that community. One of the issues that emerged had to do with a topic that is rarely discussed in church, and that is sex. So, when I sat down to read the text again on Monday, I asked myself—why did I choose to preach on this passage? This can only get me in trouble. But here we are, with a word from Paul addressing a forbidden subject.

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Baptized in the Spirit -- Sermon for Baptism of Jesus Sunday

Baptism is an important sacrament in the Disciples tradition, and we often look to Acts 2 for guidance in our baptismal practice. Disciples traditionally baptize people by immersion upon a profession of faith, because it seems to fit the biblical testimony and the practice of the earliest Christians. Our Disciples founders took to heart Peter’s response to the crowd on that first Pentecost Sunday. When the people asked “what must we do to be saved?”, Peter responded by inviting them to repent and be baptized, so that they might receive forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Walter Scott turned that text into a nice evangelistic formula, which came to be known as the “five-fingered Exercise.” He told inquiring minds that if you want to experience salvation, then believe in Jesus, repent of your sins, and be baptized, so that you might receive forgiveness of sins, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. That seems fairly cut and dry, and it might provide a solid foundation for normal patterns of church life.

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Wonderful News -- A Christmas Eve Meditation -- 2017

Charlie Brown always struggles with holidays. This is especially true of Christmas. One Christmas, since he was feeling rather blue, he went to Lucy’s psychiatrist booth for advice. Lucy decided to work through a list of phobias, to see if he was afraid of something. When she came to pantophobia, which she defined as the “fear of everything,” Charlie Brown shouted out: “That’s it.” Yes, Charlie Brown is afraid of everything. After Lucy got up from the ground, she came up with an idea—Charlie Brown needed a job. She decided he should direct the Christmas play. As you may remember, this didn’t go well. When he got to the auditorium, he gathered the cast and crew, handed out parts, and gave directions. Unfortunately, no one paid attention to him, because they were more interested in dancing than practicing. Since that wasn’t going well, Lucy decided to send Charlie Brown off to find a Christmas tree. When they got to the lot, Charlie Brown picked out a rather small and forlorn tree, even though Linus advised against the choice. When they returned to the auditorium with the tree, everyone broke out in laughter. This left Charlie Brown feeling even worse. Finally, in desperation, he cried out: “Can anyone tell me what Christmas is all about?”

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Glory Be to God - A Sermon for Advent 4B

According to the church calendar, we must wait a little longer before we can hear the angelic chorus. Although we stand at the eve of Christmas, we gather this morning to celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Advent. This is one of those strange years, when we light the fourth candle of Advent and the Christ Candle on the same day. We have already lit the fourth candle, which symbolizes love, and soon we’ll light the last candle, which gives off the light of God’s glory revealed to us in Emmanuel, the one born in Bethlehem. The four Advent candles, which we have already lit, invite us to live as God’s people in hope, peace, joy, and love. These are the qualities that mark the Christian life at its best.

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Giving Thanks Continually -- Advent 3B

We have reached the Third Sunday of Advent. We have lit the rose-colored candle, which symbolizes the message of joy. The Psalm for the day declares that “The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.” Then in the closing verses of the Psalm, the people sing: “May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves” (Psalm 126:5-6).

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