Exodus 24:12-18; Psalm 2; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-9 This coming Wednesday marks the beginning of the forty days before Easter. It’s the season of Lent. Today we already get hints of that season. In today’s first reading Moses climbs to the top of a mountain for forty days to discern God’s will. This is what Lent is all about: taking forty days to look for signs of God’s presence, to think about what God is doing in our lives, and how that might lead us to change the way we think and … [Read more...]
The Geography of Bliss
Isaiah 49:8-16a; Psalm 131; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Matthew 6:24-34 Seems like everywhere I turn these days people are talking about happiness. This past week, for example, I was reading a book called The Geography of Bliss. It’s about the journey of a writer who’s on a mission to find which countries have the happiest people in the world, and to learn why they’re happy. One of the countries he visits is the Kingdom of Bhutan. Bhutan is only the size of Connecticut and not even included on … [Read more...]
Perfect Airspeed
Leviticus 19:1-2,9-18; 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23; Psalm 119:33-40; Matthew 5:38-48 This past week my wife & I watched a TV show about an airline tragedy a couple of years ago. In June of 2009 Air France flight #447 from Rio to Paris mysteriously went down in the Atlantic Ocean. Although some of the wreckage was found no one has ever figured out why the plane went down in the first place. The most likely cause of the crash was ice that covered up instruments on the outside of the … [Read more...]
You Have Heard It Said…
Acts 10:9-17, 24-28 ; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; Matthew 5:21-37 If someone were to ask you, “Which is more harsh—the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) or the New Testament?”—how would you answer? I’m guessing most of us would say, “Old Testament.” When we think of the story of God’s people during the centuries before Jesus we think of laws, rules and regulations. Many Christians, in fact, think of the Old Testament as representing “law” and the New Testament “grace.” Today’s gospel reading seems to … [Read more...]
Salt of the Earth
Isaiah 58:1-12; Psalm 112:1-10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-16; Matthew 5:13-20 13. You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. It’s a strange image, isn’t it? If salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? Have you ever taken salt out of the cupboard or shaken some in your hand, and tasted it...and it wasn’t salty? I haven’t! No matter how old it is, in … [Read more...]
Blessed
Micah 6:1-8; Psalm 15; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12 Today’s gospel reading is that old familiar teaching of Jesus we call The Sermon on the Mount. Over and over again, Jesus uses the word “blessed.” As I was reading it this past week I thought of Velma Mullen. Sometimes I say, “How are you doing today, Velma?” and before she says anything I’m pretty sure I know how she’ll answer. Velma often says, “Blessed. I’m blessed.” What does she mean by that? I don’t usually ask but when … [Read more...]
Isaiah and Martin: Prophet and King
Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 40:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42 The word of God for us this morning comes to us through the words of the prophet Isaiah: I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity. The prophet Isaiah has been trying to reach the people of Israel with God’s message. And yet, I have spent my strength for nothing. How many of us have been in those shoes? How many of us have said to ourselves, or maybe even someone else, “I’ve worked long and hard, … [Read more...]
God’s Man
Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7,17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25 In this month’s National Geographic there’s an article titled “Veiled Rebellion.” It’s about the women of the Pashtun tribe in Afghanistan and the difficult lives they lead. Few of these women have any real power. It’s a man’s world and the foundation of a man’s world is a man’s honor. A man’s honor is judged by three things: gold, land, and women. “If any injury is done to a man’s land, women or gold, it is a matter of honor … [Read more...]
Great Expectations
Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11 John the Baptist was starting to have doubts. At the beginning of his career John had seemed so confident. Jesus had come to him and John had baptized him, proclaiming him to be the long-awaited Messiah. Repent! Prepare the way of the Lord! But over time John began to wonder. Like everyone else, he knew what to expect from a Messiah. This is one who would be the new King David. He would free the land of foreign occupation. He … [Read more...]
God’s Directions, Course Corrections
Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7,18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12 Preaching a sermon on “repentance” is an uphill climb. Just hearing John the Baptist’s command to Repent! is enough to turn off church-goers and church-abstainers alike. Why is that? We think of repentance as something that “bad” people need to do, right? We associate “repentance” with judgment, shame, guilt and scolding. So we’re offended by the idea that we might need to repent. But the biblical word for … [Read more...]