Making an Appeal to God - A sermon for Lent 1B

We began our Lenten journey on Wednesday by having our faces marked with ash as a sign of repentance and re-commitment to being Jesus’ disciples. This morning we hear a word from 1 Peter that invites us to share in Jesus’ life and ministry. The letter mentions baptism, making a defense of our faith, the suffering of the cross, and the resurrection. Each of these elements mark the life of Jesus’ followers. There is a lot going in this brief passage. It’s rich with theological content, which we can’t unpack in one sermon. So, I’m going to focus on the better story, which we have been given, and which Peter calls on us to share with the world.

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Light of God Unveiled - A Sermon for Transfiguration Sunday

Transfiguration Sunday brings the season of Epiphany, the season of light and revelation to a close. The Gospel of Mark tells us how Jesus took Peter, James, and John on a hike up a mountain. When they reached the summit, the three disciples watched with amazement as Jesus’ whole being was transformed. His appearance radiated dazzling light, and his clothing was brighter than bright. But that’s not the end of the story. Before they knew it, Moses the Lawgiver and Elijah the Prophet joined Jesus on the mountaintop. While these three figures—Moses, Elijah, and Jesus—converse, the Holy Spirit descends like a dove from a cloud that envelopes the mountain. Then a voice from heaven proclaims: “This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to him” (Mark 9:2-8). I don’t know whether the reading from 2 Corinthians is rooted in the transfiguration story, but it’s clear why it was chosen for the lectionary reading for Transfiguration Sunday. The Transfiguration story speaks of divine revelation. It speaks of the light of God that shines into the darkness. Paul declares in verse 6: “For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6 CEB). When Jesus is transfigured, his countenance, his face, shines forth a brilliant light, revealing the glory of God within him. This is the light about which Paul speaks.

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All Things to All People - Sermon for First Responders Sunday

This morning we’re taking a moment to give thanks for members of our community who have answered a call to serve. In many ways First Responders, whether police officers, fire fighters, or emergency medical technicians, have to be “all things to all people.” They might respond to help a person experiencing a heart attack in the middle of the night or maybe fetch a cat up a tree. They may sit with a person who is grieving or face a dangerous situation. Whatever the situation, they find themselves in a position of service to others. Before I go any further with this sermon, I need to give a disclaimer. I’m going to do something I don’t normally do. That is, I’m going to use the reading from 1 Corinthians 9 as a pretext, as a jumping off point, to speak about something that isn’t even hinted at in this letter. So, while I don’t think Paul had First Responders in mind when he wrote this letter, I think there is a word of blessing here for First Responders. So, with this disclaimer, I will apply Paul’s declaration that he is “all things to all people” to our First Responders, who are called upon to serve and protect all the people in the community, whether residents or guests.

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Liberty and the Neighbor - A Sermon for Epiphany 4B

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Patrick Henry issued the rallying cry of the American Revolution: “Give me liberty, or give me death.” In the early days of the Republic, many citizens embraced the message of liberty by moving into the frontier, which is where our Disciples movement got its start. In true democratic fashion, we rebelled against hierarchy and tossed away the creeds. Disciples took up the cause of religious freedom, not only from government but also from religious authorities. Liberty is great, but as Paul reminded the Corinthians on several occasions, not everything is beneficial.

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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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