Category: Sermons

Sermons preached in a context, but written for people of all sorts and conditions.

  • Grumble if you must, but then trust

    a Homily for Proper 14B Text: John 6:35, 41-51 In our gospel story, Jesus turns his attention from the crowd to the Jewish leadership. He has been talking about bread—the bread from heaven. He makes reference to the story told in Exodus. It goes a little like this. The Hebrew people, living in Egypt for…

  • Why do you follow?

    a Homily for Proper 13B Text: John 6:24-35 Why do you follow Jesus? For Christians, this should be an easy enough question. But it isn’t for most of us. Or at least there’s trouble in the answering. Why do you follow Jesus? For many of us, we had a moment in which our belief in…

  • About the Bread

    a Homily for Proper 12B Text: John 6:1-21 Focus on the Feeding With the Feeding of the Five Thousand, we get one of the most recognizable stories of Jesus in the Bible. To many of us, this is quintessential Jesus. He feeds people. He performs a miracle. He instructs the disciples. He transforms how people…

  • Deliver us from the presumption of pardon and not renewal

    Deliver us from the presumption of pardon and not renewal

    a Homily for Proper 11B Text: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 [Sunday I preached without a script. This is an approximation of what I preached.] Sabbath Coming back from vacation, it is appropriate to get this gospel pericope about rest. Or lack there of it. It was just two weeks ago when we covered the story of…

  • Eating Again, Together

    a Homily for Proper 8B Text: Mark 5:21-43 The Physical Presence From the moment Jesus pulled the fishermen from the sea to follow him, to learn to fish anew, we have been following along. We have witnessed healings and exorcisms, teachings and miracles. Each movement an opportunity to learn about Jesus and to test our…

  • In the Boat

    a Homily for Proper 7B  –   Text: Mark 4: 35-41 Getting to the boat Andrew and Simon were fishing in the Sea of Galilee. They were casting nets into the water. As fishermen, this was their work. A stranger approaches them and says: “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” This strange…

  • With Our Lives, Together

    a Homily for Proper 6B  –  Text: Mark 4:26-34 Two Teachings Some here have noticed that I ask questions. I like to tell the group there are no right answers. That this is not question and answer time, but question and response time. That I’m not looking for something specific, but I want to hear…

  • What It Takes To Be Family

    What It Takes To Be Family

    a Homily for Proper 5B Text: Mark 3:20-35 Jesus is surrounded. He’s trapped. No way out. This morning’s story opens with a claustrophobic scene. This enormous crowd that has been following Jesus is getting out of hand. He has already feared getting trampled. Now they are closing He and his disciples in. They can’t go…