The Best Gifts Luke 2.22-40 12/28/14 By Jon Glenn Have you ever heard the expression, “The best gifts come in small packages?” This phrase was never truer for me than in January, 2012. Melissa and I have a tradition that we started during our first Christmas together. Every year we give each other 12 gifts, one for each day of Christmas. That Christmas the best gift that I gave came in a rather small package: a 2x2x1.5 inch box with a hinged lid. I imagine that some of you can probably … [Read more...]
Christmas Truce
As we approach Christmas Eve I find myself preoccupied with “amazing grace.” Specifically, I’m thinking of the Christmas Truce of WWI in which enemies put down their arms and granted the world a glimpse of Isaiah’s vision of turning “swords into plowshares”—or, in this case, soccer balls. This Christmas Eve marks the 100th anniversary of this stupendous moment in history. Tragically—predictably—it was short-lived. Even so, it remains a symbol of hope in a world that seems to have learned little … [Read more...]
Have You Seen the Rainbows?
3 Advent B—12/14/14 Isaiah 61:1-4,8-11; Psalm 126; 1 Thess. 5:16-24; John 1:6-8,19-28 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Well, what do you think? Do these seem like realistic expectations? And yet, St. Paul is clear in his letter to the Thessalonians that this is what Christian faith looks like. To be a disciple of Jesus Christ is to allow these high standards to guide our … [Read more...]
Final Exam
Christ the King A14—11/23/14 Ezekiel 34:11–16, 20–24; Psalm 95:1-7a; Eph. 1:15-23; Matt. 25:31-46 “God loves you…no matter what.” At the baptismal font, week after week, in the presence of children, we hear these words. “God loves you…no matter what.” Children seem to accept this assurance with little problem. We adults, however, are waiting for the other shoe to drop, right? Unconditional love—truly unconditional love—is so rare in the world and so rare in our experience … [Read more...]
Rules of the Game
23 Pentecost A—11/16/14 Zephaniah 1:7,12-18; Ps. 90:1-12; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matt. 25:14-30 American Idol. The X Factor. The Voice. Top Chef. America’s Next Top Model. And, America’s Got Talent! Growing up, I thought of talent shows as something you’d find at summer camp, or church events. Today on television they’re big business! "The kingdom of heaven is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to … [Read more...]
Children of God
All Saints Sunday—11/2/14 Revelation 7:9-17; Psalm 34:1-10; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12 (Take a minute to count your blessings. Be specific in naming anything in your life that you would call a blessing.) So--What was it like to name your blessings? What did you list? Health? Wealth? Family? Freedom? If you haven’t already, take your list and compare it to Jesus’ list in Matthew 5. Did any of your blessings show up on Jesus’ list of blessings? Probably not, because: Who wants to be … [Read more...]
Manhattan or Mayberry?
Reformation Sunday 14—10/26/14 Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 46; Romans 3:19-28; John 8:31-36 If you don’t commute to work every day you may not know it but traffic has gotten worse in recent years. In his Seattle Times column this past week, Danny Westneat wrote that “Seattle’s got the traffic of a big-time city, but the spirit of a small town when it comes to doing anything about it.” In another article he says we’re like Manhattan, but when it comes to traffic we act like Mayberry. “We’re … [Read more...]
An All-Inclusive Feast
18 Pentecost A—9/12/14 Isaiah 25:1-9; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:1-9; Matthew 22:1-14 Have you gotten any dinner invitations lately? I have. Over the past month Lutheran Community Services, REACH, Faith Action Network, Communities In Schools in Renton, Open Door Ministries, and the Church of Steadfast Love have invited me to dinner—fundraising dinners! In today’s reading from Matthew Jesus tells a story about an invitation to a banquet. The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king … [Read more...]
Fruits of the Harvest
17 Pentecost A--10/5/14 Matthew 21:33-46 Violence; bloodshed; a stone that breaks to pieces anyone who falls upon it and crushes anyone on whom it falls. The author of Matthew’s gospel gives us a difficult text today. So difficult in fact, that had I known the content of the gospel text for this Sunday when I chose this date for my first sermon at Lakeridge two months ago with Pastor Scott, I might have picked another one. But this text is the one I have had to struggle with. And in my … [Read more...]
Love and Transformation
16 Pentecost A—9/28/14 Ezekiel 18:1-4,25-32; Psalm 25:1-9; Philippians 2:1-13; Matt. 21:23-32 One of the best TV series I’ve seen this year is The Roosevelts. Ken Burns recently did a week-long PBS series on Teddy, Eleanor and Franklin. They were no saints. Like the rest of us they were sinners. Their lives included chapters of disappointment, self-interest and betrayal. But what I remember most from the Roosevelt story is the power of love to shape who these leaders became. … [Read more...]