Sermons on Teaching of Jesus (Page 6)
God In The Flesh
Proper 14B 1 Kings 19:4-8 Ephesians 4:25-5:2 John 6:35, 41-51 The Rev. Susan Plucker August 8, 2021 Our scripture readings begin this morning with The prophet Elijah alone and literally exhausted to death. Elijah has been battling for God against the dark forces Of Queen Jezebel and her priests of the god Baal. Elijah and God have won. The priests of Baal are all…
Hold the Vision
Ephesians 2:11-22Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 Today we see two different pictures of the followers of Jesus. In the Gospel we heard how the apostles gathered around Jesus and told him how their mission trips had gone. You may remember that a couple of weeks ago we heard Jesus sending them out two by two without any extra provisions or clothing. Now they’re back, excited about their experiences. This is very immediate and personal, and then all the people are rushing about…
All will be forgiven.
Do you remember the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral? In one of the weddings, comedian Rowan Atkinson plays a young priest who gets his words muddled and concludes a prayer with the words, “in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Goat”. Determined not to make the same mistake a second time, at the end of the wedding he blesses the congregation in the name of, “The Father the Son and the Holy Spigot.” Was…
Laying Down His Life
Acts 4:5-12 1 John 3:16-24 John 10:11-18 Psalm 23 Todays gospel is such a comforting passage about the Good Shepherd, and one we use for memorial services as we remind ourselves that God’s love never waivers even when we journey through the valley of death. In the words of John’s gospel, Jesus tells us clearly that “I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of…
Sin In Our Favor
Last week while on retreat, I read several books. One of them was Falling Upwards by Richard Rohr. In it he says among many other things that “salvation is sin turned on its head and used in our favor.” Salvation is sin turned on its head and used in our favor. That is what we are remembering today – the ultimate example of sin turned on its head and used in our favor. On the cross Jesus took the sin…
I Will Write it on Your Heart
5th Sunday of Lent, March 21, 2021. Jeremiah 31:31-34Psalm 51John 12:20-33 Photo by Macro Mama from StockSnap
“Wiser is Humbler” – Rev Mike Eggleston at St Benedict’s
I Corinthians 1.18-25 Guidance from God can be found anywhere, because God is everywhere. Me, I most often get insights from God either through nature or through scriptures and church tradition. That’s good because those two, nature and torah, are the two forums of God which are praised in Psalm 19. “The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple.” But the start of this sermon comes from a…
Radical Acceptance
Mark 8:31-38 I admit it. I’m mortal. Just like all of us. And that of course is the reminder of Ash Wednesday, that we are entirely dependent on God for every breath we take. And just in case we missed it on Ash Wednesday with this year’s self-service ashes, the loss of our beloved sister Karin this week brought it home powerfully. We are mortal. We are not gods. We are humans. And so it’s not surprising that we see…
Treated as a Person The Rev. Susan Plucker
5th Sunday After Epiphany February 7, 2021 Isaiah 40:21-31 Psalm 147: 1-12, 21c 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 Mark 1:29-39 Let us begin by hearing the voice of Mary Magdalene. Seven demons possessed my soul Seven Marys lived inside of me One Mary was chaste, another carnal, A Mary elated, a Mary tormented, A frightened Mary, a lone one, And one that hated God. I stood on the hill throughout the day. Watching the procession to Golgotha Seeing the crosses…