Sermons by Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall (Page 10)
Hope in the Darkness
Welcome to Advent – today is the first Sunday of the church’s year. And welcome to the first paradox of the year. Today’s key word as we lit our Advent wreath was “Hope” yet the hope in these readings seems hidden in a description of human difficulty. I have mentioned before that my brother, an Anglican priest, faithfully sent out a Christmas letter each year in which he talked about normal things like the achievements of his children, but always…
Feed them with Justice
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 Matthew 25:31-46 We are all familiar with this gospel story of the end time when the sheep and the goats will be separated, but less familiar I think with the Old Testament reading. You will remember that Ezekiel was a contemporary of Jeremiah’s who prophesied the fall of Jerusalem, and then was exiled into Babylon when it happened. Ezekiel was unusual in that he was given to visions, in addition to hearing the word of the Lord…
80lbs of silver
Matthew 25:14-30 As the church year comes to an end, our readings have taken a turn towards the end of time with warnings to be on our guard, to be ready, to be prepared. This morning’s parable is one of these stories, warning us of what will happen if we get it wrong. I expect that you have heard this story of the talents before – it’s a favorite of Sunday School teachers because it seems to have such a…
Saints, Heretics and Misfits
Revelation 7:9-17 1 John 3:1-3 Matthew 5:1-12 Good morning saints of God! Today, All Saints Day, is the day that we remember those who have gone before us in the reign if God – those who have formed us and made us who we are – those who have taught us and those who have shown us how to follow Jesus. And the astonishing thing is that, in the mystical communion of saints, although they are physically gone from us…
Holiness
On Tuesday mornings, we are currently reading and reflecting on a book by Richard Foster which describes different strands or emphases in Christian thinking. This week we talked about the Holiness tradition. Now I had seen it as being about rules of behavior and associated it with anti-gay sentiment. But Foster sees it quite differently. For him holiness is about virtuous living, it is about being Christ in the world. And he says, “virtue is good habits we can rely…
Staying Peaceful in the Crowd
Philippians 4:1-9 Matthew 22:1-14 This is a difficult parable isn’t it? The Kingdom of heaven is like a king who when people don’t show up to his son’s wedding and some of them even shoot the messenger, he becomes enraged and sends homeland security to kill them and burn their cities. Then he sends out his slaves again to invite people to his feast and having seen what happened to the first group of guests, everyone shows up. Now we…
Live the Antidote
Don’t you love the so-called “comfortable words”, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” I often wonder what was in the minds of those who created the lectionary. Why did they choose this…
Rainbows and Christ
Long before it was a symbol of diversity and gay pride, the rainbow was a symbol of God’s unconditional covenant not just with humanity but with all flesh – all sentient beings upon the planet. That never again would a flood wipe everything out. “When the bow is in the clouds”, God told Noah, “I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” This is the…
Justice, justice
Jonah 3:4–10 Luke 10:25–37 In our Thursday Bible Study group we have started a study of Paul’s letter to the Romans which is an important yet difficult book. It inspired Luther to rebel against the Catholic church, and has spawned hundreds if not thousands of commentaries. It starts with a sweeping condemnation of all Gentiles rapidly followed by a sweeping condemnation of all Jews. The wrath of God is visited upon everyone. Only after we are thoroughly crushed does Paul…
The Fig Tree
Fig trees are especially suited to the Middle East because they can grow in poor soil and a seasonally dry climate, though they do need water and often grow deep roots to reach an underground water supply. The fig is one of the first plants that was cultivated by humanity and the ancient Hebrews considered it a sign of abundance. There is a passage in the prophet Micah which describes a future of peace and justice. It says: “The Lord…