Sermons on Spiritual Life (Page 28)

Entirely Fire

After the last few weeks when we have heard parables of violence and exclusion, it’s something of a relief to get to the two great commandments, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ And ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ For most of us this is the center of Jesus’ teaching. But I wonder whether that is right. Jesus himself says, “On these two commandments…

What is Caesar’s?

In this morning’s gospel reading we hear an attempt by the religious leaders to trap Jesus into saying something that will get him into trouble with the Roman authorities, and probably with the people as well. Paying taxes may be unpopular today but in Jesus time it was much more so. Taxes were collected by unscrupulous tax collectors who made their living by the tax they pocketed, and the money they passed on went to support the Roman emperor and…

Life in Death

Today’s parable comes from the final section of teaching material in Matthew’s gospel. It’s in a section that, had he used subtitles, Matthew might have called “Authority.” Jesus is already in Jerusalem, his triumphal entry on the donkey just happened and the religious leaders are doing everything they can to trap him and to diminish his authority in the sight of the people. It’s a plan that’s not going so well. So Jesus tells a very pointed story. The owner…

Wilderness

Today I’m going to break one of my own rules of preaching and start a sermon with a joke. So here it is: a boastful preacher, perhaps a Baptist but perhaps a Dominican since the Dominicans are a Catholic order who pride themselves in their preaching, anyway, a boastful preacher told his friends that give him any subject, any subject and he could come up with a biblical text and preach a full sermon, with no preparation. So of course,…

Living Sacrifice

When Paul wrote to the churches he had founded, he typically spent part of the letter talking about theology and then turned to its practical application. In this morning’s reading from Romans we heard the beginning of his practical section. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed…

Joseph and That Sinking Feeling

“Joseph and That Sinking Feeling” – from Genesis 37.12-28, – Rev. Mike Eggleston            My car’s music system mostly plays Broadway musicals when I’m driving.  When it’s short trips in the electric car, I usually hear short clips from the musical “Hamilton.” But for longer drives in my wife’s car, the music I’ve sung along to for the last two months has been “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”  I hope some of you are familiar with Joseph.  It was…

Wrestling with God

Jacob’s story: Jacob’s story takes up 25 chapters in Genesis. (It’s a family saga, and it’s also a Biblical soap opera.) Today’s reading: Jacob is still traveling, and preparing to meet his brother Esau again; even after many years, he‟s still afraid of what Esau may do to him and his family. (Whatever Esau chooses to do, Jacob knows he deserves it.) Wrestling with fear: Jacob doesn’t sleep, but wrestles all night with the unknown that waits for him in…

Love in the Kindom

There is a similar focus in the Old Testament when God persistently calls those who are younger or in some way less important to lead the people. Israel itself was a small nation in comparison with its neighbors. St Benedict’s is a small church. The reign of God is here. The reign of God is very small; it is the mustard seed as well as the zillions of mustard plants that grow from that seed. It is also hidden. We…