The Bread of Life (John 6:24-35)
Let us pray, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. On Sunday my priest preached a sermon from Ephesians 4 and something from that sermon has sat with me all week. I’d like to share it with you in the context of today’s gospel reading from St. John. Ephesians 4 is all about unity in the Body of Christ. Read more...
Beloved Sons Through Jesus Christ
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. It is easy sometimes to forget who — or even whose — we are. The messaging we get from those around us in society and sometimes even our families and friends is a constant stream of not being enough. We’re never cool enough, rich enough, attractive enough, smart enough, good enough, worth enough — the list goes on and on. Read more...
The Good Shepherd
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. Today is the fourth Sunday of Easter, often called “Good Shepherd” because of the gospel reading. Though each Sunday is a sort of mini-Easter, the Sundays from Easter until Pentecost are especially so. The question to answer today, is what does a good shepherd have to do with the death and resurrection of Jesus? Read more...
It Wasn't the Nails
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. Nailed to a cross, bleeding, hurting, mocked, physically suffering for hours, Jesus breaks his silence. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” On the cross, dying for the treason of being a Messiah when he was truly so much more. Jesus, in his greatest moment of terror continues to identify with humanity; with us; with you; with me; yes, even with them. Read more...
Mark 6:30-52 and the Unanswered Question; Who is this?
On October 8, I was invited to preach at McKendree Village where I did my field education last year. It was a blessing to be back with so many friends and to see the healing God had brought to many of the people I had visited in the rehabilitation center. Since I’m taking A.J. Levine’s course on Mark this semester, I decided to preach on the miracles of the feeding of the 5000 and Jesus walking on water in Mark 6:30-52. Read more...
The Lie of Absence
To be a Christian often means living in the undefined spaces of tension between things that together cannot be true and yet are. Take today for an example. In the Christian calendar, today is the seventh Sunday of Easter and the first Sunday after Ascension. Also today, many Christians in the United States will reflect upon the lives lost over the centuries by the United States Armed Forces as a church prelude to Memorial Day on tomorrow. Read more...
Bring us Back and Renew our Lives
Shepherd of Israel, listen, you who lead Joseph like a flock; enthroned on the cherubs, shine on Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh; rouse your strength, come to us and save us! Yahweh Sabaoth, bring us back, let your face smile on us and we shall be safe. Yahweh Sabaoth, how much longer will you smoulder at your people’s prayer? Having fed us on the bread of tears, having made us drink them in such measure, you now let our neighbours quarrel over us and our enemies deride us. Read more...
Luke 24:1-12; Unspoken Expectations
Whether we realize it or not we all have expectations. When a football player enters the end-zone after a game-changing interception we expect a big team celebration. Presidential candidates are expected to kiss babies. When an application gets updated on your phone you expect new features and a new look. These and so many of the expectations of our daily lives are unspoken. No one really notices they even exist until they are not met. Read more...
The Caring Vinedresser
There were some present at that very time who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus? I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Silo′am fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? Read more...
Luke 4:21-30; Challenging our Self-Centered Expectations
In today’s gospel reading we find Jesus attending worship at his home congregation in Nazareth for the first time since he left. One can almost imagine the scene as the familiar – and yet now somehow unfamiliar – Jesus takes his old place in the synagogue. The sweet elders of the congregation surround him, excited to hear how the boy they saw grow up has faired in the world. The men Jesus grew up with fish for stories of life outside of little Nazareth; tales of danger and adventure. Read more...
Sanctification, The Outcome of Our Faith
Good morning holy, healthy, and happy people of God! If you are visiting today, I welcome you and apologize at the same time. Please do not judge McKendree by today’s sermon. I am but the humble seminary student here. Pastor Stephen will be back preaching as normal next week and I strongly encourage you to come back then. Today marks the third time I’ve preached from this pulpit. People told me this would get easier over time, and I must say the writing part does get easier with each attempt. Read more...
Oster Predigt, 2014
Wir glauben an die Gemeinschaft der Heiligen und heute Morgen muss ich Dank geben zu einer die mit den Heiligen jetzt ist. Frau Phillips war meine Deutsch Lehrerin. Von ihr hab ich meine Liebe für die deutsche Sprache gelernt. Meine Familie ist nicht Deutsch aber wegen Frau Phillips fühle ich mich immer zuhause mit Deutsch. Ich hab vor fünfzehn Jahren mein erstes deutsches Wort gelernt. Ich kann nicht glauben dass ich jetzt hier stehe. Read more...
Resting & Holy Sabbath
The last few weeks we’ve been lead by Pastor Stephen down a path of reflection on the concept of a holy sabbath. Together we were challenged to make places for holy rest and refreshment in our lives. We marveled at how God graciously provides us extra in our lives that we might take the time for prayer and worship. And, we learned of the freedom that comes through our times of rest with the Lord. Read more...
Watch Night, 2013
Revelation 21:1-6a Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. Read more...
The Unexpected God
If I were to ask someone on the street to describe what a god was like what answers do you think I would get? Powerful, Can do whatever he or she wants, All seeing, Mighty, All knowing, King, Sovereign, Clothed in glory, Surrounded by angels, Supreme, etc. I think the term god makes people think back to the Greek gods of Mt. Olympus or the Norse gods of Valhalla. Read more...
