Sermon: October 16, 2016: Long Wait Time for Splash Mountain

In this sermon, based on Luke 18:1-8, I look at Jesus' encouragement to pray always and not lose heart as we wait for the fullness of God's Kingdom to be realized.   It can seem like the wait for the peace and justice of the kingdom will never end.  However, the wisdom of Christ is able to equip us for faithful waiting.  We are invited to ride the waters of our baptism in lives of faithful response.   

Sermon October 2, 2016

In this sermon, I take a look at being faithful and carrying on midst our struggles and challenges of life.  In our lectionary text from Luke 17, The disciples cry out to Jesus, "increase our faith!"  Jesus responds by encouraging them to live in the faith that God has already given them using a reference to the image of the mustard seed.  Be, live, honor, celebrate, and claim the faith God has already given.  They are then invited to 'carry on' and live lives of service. 

Sermon 9/25/2016: The Neighbor At Our Gate

In this sermon, I address recent troubling events in St. Cloud, New York, New Jersey, Tulsa, Burlington, and Lonsdale (where a local business owner posted the sign "Muslims Get Out" on a family restaurant).  How does Jesus invite us to respond to the evil and hatred that seems to be at our gate?  The sermon text (Luke 16: 19-31) is the story of the rich man and Lazarus.  It is a story that Jesus tells to the religious insiders of his day to invite them to repent and to open their ears to God's wisdom and open their hearts to God's love.  We are invited to do the same.