Sermons on Social Justice (Page 2)
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…
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…
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…
No Separation
Welcome to the Season of Creation! It’s good to be here with you all again after two weeks of being away enjoying the wonders of God’s Creation. I was grateful to be north of the fires and so suffered very little from the smoke. We stayed in a little house with a veranda that looked into the forest and every morning and evening the bird feeder was visited by a tribe of steller’s jays. One of the interesting things about…
I will, with God’s Help
Isaiah 56:1,6-8 Psalm 67 Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28 I think there’s a little bit of Jewish privilege showing up in today’s gospel and in the second reading. Paul proudly shares his Jewish credentials, and Jesus says “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Privilege is an interesting thing because most of us have ways in which we are privileged in our society and ways in which we are disadvantaged or even…
Love Strongly
Genesis 21:8-21 Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17 Romans 6:1b-11 Matthew 10:24-39 Usually we omit the Old Testament reading on the third Sunday of the month but today it seems particularly important, so I decided this morning that we should include it. Like today’s gospel, it is a difficult reading. It is a difficult reading because it tells us about racial separation. It tells us that deep in the very early history of the Judaeo-Christian people, just as in this country and in…
Committed to Love
Matthew 9:35-10:8 They haven’t been as much in the news recently, but we have all heard of the Westboro Baptist church. It is known for picketing events, including soldiers’ funerals with signs that say things like “God hates Fags”. They are currently declaring “The Coronavirus is God’s Fury.” The backbone of the church is the Phelps family, who under the leadership of the late Fred Phelps developed an idiosyncratic theology based on God’s anger. To be a Phelps is to…
Boundary Crossing
Photo by Max Bohme on unsplash.com A few weeks ago, a friend of mine was talking about some of the choices he is making in his life and he told me, “Right now I’m self-absorbed in my spirituality.” “Right now I’m self-absorbed in my spirituality.” I’m going to leave you with that thought for a moment while I talk about the second reading this morning, the one from the Letter to the Hebrews. It’s a pretty confusing reading because we…
Who is my neighbor?
Photo by Eddie Perez Amos 7:7-17 Luke 10:25-37 Don’t you love this story of the Good Samaritan? It’s one of Jesus’ best, so easy to understand and to visualize. The man whose been mugged and the religious folk who don’t want to take the risk or the time to help him. Then the Samaritan, someone who Jews looked down on, is willing to do what it takes to help someone – even a Jew – in need. The Samaritans lived…
Privileged to Worship the God of Love
Photo by Ian Schneider @ unpslash.com Acts 16:9-15 Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 John 14:23-29 Psalm 67 One of Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry’s ‘Way of Love’ practices for a Jesus-Centered Life is “Worship.” We at St. Benedict’s, myself included, are very privileged to have this time together each week to worship God in the beauty of Holiness and to be nourished by God’s Holy Spirit. And speaking of privilege, I must say, it is a privilege to be privileged. As a white-male,…