Sermons
Sermons preached in a context, but written for people of all sorts and conditions.
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Magnifying God
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8 min read
There’s a way we turn Mary into a stock character for the plot rather than the key to understanding who Jesus is supposed to be for us. How Mary helps us better see what God is doing Advent 4B | Luke 1:26-38 This morning I remind you that it isn’t yet Christmas! The sun has…
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Standing Among Us
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8 min read
John the Baptist returns for Advent 3B (John 1:6-8,19-28). But do we handicap the truth by expecting honesty in response to a dishonest question? Advent 3B | John 1:6-8,19-28 Who are you? This is the question the priests and Levites were sent to ask. Sent. By whom? The Pharisees. So why are the Pharisees sending the…
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Repentance–Turning Toward Love
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7 min read
In preaching repentance, John reveals the surprising truth about the mission of Jesus. That we are first called to admit that we were wrong. Advent 2B | Mark 1:1-8 Reading the opening verses of Mark, we’re often struck by what’s not there. There’s no Mary and Joseph. No trip to Bethlehem, to David’s city. We…
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The Pain of Memory
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9 min read
The apocalyptic opening to Advent always shook me. Now I realize that this is the whole point. Advent isn’t about the baby, but about us. Advent 1B | Mark 13:24-37 The people collected their weapons. The secret gatherings swelled with supporters coming from all over the hill country. The ragtag militia was beginning to look…
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Talentless
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8 min read
In the parable of the bridesmaids (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus gives a chilling picture of the kin-dom which is more “what not to do” than it is “how to be a Christian”. Proper 28A | Matthew 25:24-30 If I entrusted you with a key to our home while we go away on vacation, what do I…
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Getting In
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9 min read
In the parable of the bridesmaids, Jesus gives us, not instructions on how to get into heaven, but an example of how not to. Proper 27A | Matthew 25:1-13 It was about this time 4 years ago when my friend Bruce died. He was a faithful and pious man. He had a real certainty about…