Sermons
Sermons preached in a context, but written for people of all sorts and conditions.
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To Not Be Righteous
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8 min read
As followers of Jesus, we are called into discipleship. But that doesn’t mean being more righteous than our neighbors but merely generous. Proper 8A | Matthew 10:40-42 This short gospel reading doesn’t seem like much. But if you’ve been following along the last few weeks, then you know it is anything but simple. Not even…
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A ‘Kum Bah Ya’ Moment
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8 min read
In Matthew 10:24-39, we find the downside of discipleship, the hard stuff which would drive us away from it. If we didn’t know what’s at stake. Proper 7A | Matthew 10:24-39 There are certain times preachers don’t want to take on the gospel. Often because it’s hard to talk about money or sex or divorce.…
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An Embarrassment of Grace
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10 min read
Jesus sends his disciples out before they’re ready to do the work they don’t understand. A lot like us. Because that’s the work for us to do. Proper 6A | Matthew 9:35-10:23 Some time ago. A few years before seminary, before I preached my first sermon or proclaimed my first gospel, I was getting up…
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Discipleship Reimagined
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8 min read
When we take the Great Commission as our marching orders, we often make the same mistakes about Jesus the first disciples made. First Sunday after Pentecost | Matthew 28:16-20 These are the last words in the gospel of Matthew. Words which are often referred to as “the Great Commission.” A name which has parallel and…
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With the Communion of Saints
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8 min read
In the ascension, Jesus leaves the followers with the vision, mercy, and love to do the work they were already doing, always called to do. Easter 7A Acts 1:6-14, John 17:1-11 The book of Acts begins with an end. It begins at the end of Jesus’s earthly ministry and his return to God. Much like…
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When the Power Goes Out
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7 min read
The ascension is one of the most challenging stories for modern Christians to believe. And yet, it might be among the most important to hear.