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Rejecting the Cross that isn’t Christ’s
a Sermon for Good Friday C Text: John 18:1-19:42 The Cross Jesus was forced to carry it. He died on it. What more do we know about it? Jesus was being led to the outskirts of the city, right outside the front gate. This is where traitors were hanged and let to rot in the…
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Learning to Love
a Sermon for Maundy Thursday Text: John 13:1-17, 31b-35 Memory Making. Before breaking bread with His disciples for the final time, Jesus washed their feet. Then he told them to wash one another’s feet. Many of us focus this night on the dinner they share—particularly the breaking of bread at the beinning and the sharing…
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Hate the sin? Chances are you hate the sinner.
a Sermon for Lent 4C Text: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 Two Sons Most depictions of this story focus on the first half: the sinful son, the return to the farm, the generosity and mercy of the father, and the embrace. It is a wonderful and evocative image. I have a book full of these images, art…
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Man, Have You Got the Wrong Idea
a Sermon for Lent 3C Text: Luke 13:1-9 No link Jesus raises a question about providence this morning. A question about GOD. About good and evil. About the way of the world. He tackles what is perhaps the most enduring question in human history: why do bad things happen? And yet, before tackling…
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Becoming One
a Sermon for Lent 2C Text: Luke 13:31-35 Jerusalem, Jerusalem A friend asked my Dad for a recommendation years ago. He was hoping to go to Jerusalem with a school exchange program. My Mom, in learning of this plan, wondered aloud “Why?” It sounded pretty awesome to me, so I couldn’t understand what her problem…
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Our Quarantine
a Sermon for Lent 1C Text: Luke 4:1-13 Quarantine In the ancient Middle East, there was a traditional custom of a Sabbath Quarantine. One would go out into the desert for an extended time. Imagine. The sand swirling about you, sneaks into your clothes, your hair, your teeth. You would soon feel dirty and uncomfortable.…
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GOD is here
a Sermon for Epiphany 4C Text: Luke 4:21-30 The teacher is kicked out of school Jesus approaches the front of the synagogue, is given one of the scrolls of Isaiah and Jesus reads out: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He…
