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Sermon: Epiphany 2 RCL A – “Held Captive”

Some of you had the opportunity to meet Dumb Dumb. He was my big white standard poodle. I call him Dumb Dumb, be he showed moments genius, like the time I had him up at the church I served in Billings. It was midnight Christmas Eve mass. I’m reading the Gospel of shepherds, when I hear the very distinctive tinkling of his tags. It’s then that he trots into the sanctuary, sits down directly in front me (while I’m reading), and says, “Hey. What’s up?” However, some of his other achievements suggest that there wasn’t a lot going on upstairs. For example, it took a hot cup of coffee to free him from a fence post after he decided to lick it when it was minus 16 degrees. And then there was the time I was doing some home improvements. For six weeks I had the kitchen blocked off with a piece of plywood to keep the dust down and for six weeks, more than once a day, in fact, many times a day, every day, the daffy dog would charge around the corner and crash into that piece of plywood. He just could not remember that it was there. Continue reading “Sermon: Epiphany 2 RCL A – “Held Captive””

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Sermon: Julia Chester Emery / United Thank Offering

In 1517, Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the church door in Wittenburg, Germany. In 1521, he was excommunicated from the church. What followed was a war between the protestants and the Roman Emperor who was in support of the Roman Catholic church. These wars claimed many lives, but peace was somewhat established in 1555 with the settlement known as the Peace of Augsburg, a part of which stated that the local German princes would have say over the religious preference of their individual realms, of which there were 224. This relative peace lasted for about 65 years until Ferdinand II was elected Holy Roman Emperor. Once elected, he tried to impose his Roman Catholic beliefs on everyone, which caused revolts in the German protestant north and was the spark that in 1618 ignited the 30 Years War in Europe. By the end, in 1648, the war had claimed some 8 million victims. Continue reading “Sermon: Julia Chester Emery / United Thank Offering”

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Sermon: Christmas Feria – “Whatever is…”

Dr. Edward Miller was the Dean of the Medical Faculty at the medical school and CEO of the hospital of Johns Hopkins University, and he conducted a study on those who have had heart surgery in order to eliminate various heart conditions related to poor lifestyle choices.

His study stated that there are approximately 2,000,000 bypass and angioplasty surgeries per year in the United States at an approximate cost $120,000 each. Of those, only half of the patients will remain healthy for more than a year. Why? Because 8 out of 9 of them will not change their diet, exercise, etc. that got them into that condition in the first place. What is Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity: “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Continue reading “Sermon: Christmas Feria – “Whatever is…””

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Sermon: Christmas Day RCL A – “Light”

Bilbo Baggins, in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, was stuck in the cave with Gollum and they began their riddling contest. After a few, Gollum put the following riddle to Bilbo:

“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt,
It lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills,
It comes first and follows after,
Ends life, kills laughter.”

Any guesses, My Preciouses? Continue reading “Sermon: Christmas Day RCL A – “Light””

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Sermon: Christmas Eve RCL A – “Hiding”

A telemarketer called a home one day and Little Johnny answered. In a small voice Johnny whispered, “Hello?” The telemarketer said, “Hello! What’s your name?” Still whispering, the voice said, “Johnny.” “How old are you, Johnny?” “I’m four.” “Good. Is your mother home?” “Yes, but she’s busy.” “Okay, is your daddy home?” “He’s busy too.” “I see, who else is there?” “The police.” “The police? May I speak with one of them?” “They’re busy.” “Any other grown-ups there?” “The firemen.” “May I speak with a fireman, please?” “They’re all busy.” “Johnny, all those people in your house, and I can’t talk with any of them? What are they doing?” With a little snicker and a bit too gleefully Johnny whispered, “Looking for me.” Continue reading “Sermon: Christmas Eve RCL A – “Hiding””

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Sermon: Thomas

Tradition tells us that following the Ascension of Jesus, the twelve apostles drew straws to determine where they would go to proclaim the Gospel. The Apostle Thomas, who we celebrate today, drew India.

Scott Wesley Brown wrote the lyrics to a rather humorous song. He says things like, “I’ll see that the money is gathered / I’ll see that the money is sent / I’ll volunteer for the nursery / I’ll usher, I’ll deacon , I’ll go door to door / Just let me keep warming this seat,” and the chorus kicks in, “Please don’t send me to Africa.” Continue reading “Sermon: Thomas”

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Sermon: Advent 4 RCL A – “Grace”

One legend tells us that when God was about to create man, He took into His counsel the angels that stood about his throne. “Create him not,” said the angel of Justice, “for if You do he will commit all kinds of wickedness against his fellow men; he will be hard and cruel and dishonest and unrighteous.” “Create him not,” said the angel of Truth, “for he will be false and deceitful to his brother-man, and even to You.” “Create him not,” said the angel of Holiness, “he will follow that which is impure in Your sight, and dishonor You to Your face.”

Then stepped forward the angel of Grace (God’s best beloved) and said: “Create him, our Heavenly Father, for when he sins and turns from the path of justice and truth and holiness I will take him tenderly by the hand, and speak loving words to him, and then lead him back to You.” Continue reading “Sermon: Advent 4 RCL A – “Grace””

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Sermon: John of the Cross

Born into a destitute family in 1542, John of the Cross knew what it meant to rely solely on God. Later he would join the Carmelite order and later come in to contact with another great mystic, Teresa of Avila. Teresa had a desire to reform the order and recruited John to help, but when the monks in his monastery discovered what he was up to, they kidnapped him, locked him in cell, and beat him three times a week for nine months, until he was able to escape. For many, that would have driven them from God, but for John, it drove him closer, so that he understood that we should seek to separate ourselves from everything – both good and evil – so that we might find union with God.

In the Ascent of Mt. Carmel, John writes, “The soul that is attached to anything however much good there may be in it, will not arrive at the liberty of divine union. For whether it be a strong wire rope or a slender and delicate thread that holds the bird, it matters not, if it really holds it fast; for, until the cord be broken the bird cannot fly.” Continue reading “Sermon: John of the Cross”

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Sermon: Advent 3 RCL A – “The Invincible, Irrefutable Gift”

Little Johnny sat on Santa’s lap and gave him the entire list. When he was done, Santa handed him a candy cane. When he only stared at it, his mother asked, “What do you say to Santa for your candy cane?” Johnny thought for a moment and as he was hopping down, said, “Charge it!”

The world’s wisdom tells us that when you come to the realization that money can’t buy happiness, its time to get some credit cards. I suppose there are times when we all feel the financial pinch, but Christmas, with all the gifts and parties, can really test the limit.

After receiving a rather expensive gift the receiver of the gift wrote the following thank you note to the giver:

I must express my gratitude
for such a lovely gift.
Your thoughtfulness and taste is matched
only by your thrift.
It’s clear that you spared all expense,
if you catch my drift.
Remove the anti-theft device
when you again shoplift.

One penny pincher sent a gift and included the following note: Continue reading “Sermon: Advent 3 RCL A – “The Invincible, Irrefutable Gift””

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