Eyewitnesses of God’s Majesty
Eyewitnesses of God’s Majesty Transfiguration 2 Peter 1:16-21 Matthew 17:1-9 My mother was born and raised in Missouri (or “Missour-uh”), a state that is apparently proud of its skepticism. If Mom didn’t exactly believe what she was being told, she would say, “I’m from Missouri. You’ll have to show me.” I didn’t exactly understand until I saw their license plates—The Show-Me State! We are told, “You can’t believe everything you hear.” (Especially true during an election cycle!) You certainly can’t believe everything…
Passing Along the Blessing
February 9, 2020 Passing Along the Blessing 5th Epiphany Genesis 12:1-4a February 9, 2020 John 3:1-17 Think for just a moment about all the times you have given someone some money, and they have said, “I’ll pay it back!” It’s the normal way things are done. Now I’d like you to hear a few lines from a letter written in 1784—from Benjamin Franklin to Benjamin Webb: “I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you…meet…
The Light – Foolish Wisdom
February 2, 2020 The Light: Foolish Wisdom 4th Epiphany 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 February 2, 2020 Matthew 5:1-12 Who is your favorite fool? If you’re a fan of Shakespeare, it might be Falstaff. If you watch a lot of re-runs, it could well be Gilligan. Attending a “Riders in the Sky” concert at Cowboy Poetry gatherings introduced me to Sourdough Slim! Your favorite fool might be someone as famous as Red Skelton, or as little-known as the person you live with or…
A Mission Shared
A Mission Shared Isaiah 9:1-14 Matthew 4:12-23 We’ve talked before about what it is like to live with a 2-year-old. Can you remember? Two-year-olds are famous for having learned how to say “NO!”—it’s an important step in their early development (even if it IS frustrating to their family). Another thing kids often learn to say, around the age of 2, is “I DO IT!” You’re trying to help them put on a coat or color a page or select a…
The Light is the Lamb
The Light Is the Lamb Epiphany 2 Isaiah 49:1-7 John 1:29-42 There’s a story about a young fellow who had a habit of skipping out on church. He would go across the street and play pinball with the money his folks had given him for the offering. But he was careful to stand near the preacher as people were filing out so that he could pick up on some snippets of conversation about the sermon. He needed to do this…
A Sign for YOU
A Sign for YOU Christmas Eve Isaiah 9:2-7 Luke 2:1-20 Have you ever felt “unwelcome” anywhere? Have you ever said to yourself, “Oh. I don’t belong here”? It’s something we begin to learn at a young age—there are certain places where we are welcome to go, and other places that are off limits. I’m not just thinking about places marked “authorized personnel only” or restrooms that are marked with another gender—I’m really thinking of those times when we get the feeling,…
The Joy of God with Us
The JOY of God-With-Us 4th Advent Isaiah 7:10-16 Ps. 80:1-7, 17-19 Matt. 1:18-25 Those of us who have had toddlers remember a phase our kids went through. I call it the “I do it!” phase, because kids begin to understand that they are capable of things they were never able to do before, and they INSIST on doing them! “I do it!” It’s an important step in the continuous process of becoming independent and creative. However, there are milestones along the…
The One Coming
The One Coming 3rd Advent Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 John 1:6-8, 19-28 Way back in 1967, a movie came out that stirred things up in our country. It was widely received because of the star-power represented: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier. But it was also controversial, because it portrayed interracial marriage in a positive light—and there were still, at that time, 17 states where it was illegal! Those of you who are chronologically advantaged know that I am talking about the movie “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”…
The Hope of the Gentiles
The Hope of the Gentiles 2nd Advent Romans 15:4-13 Matthew 3:1-12 Do you remember “The Little Rascals”? As a kid, I watched old black-and-white re-runs. Then, in 1994, they released a movie with the same characters, introducing them to a new generation! In this film, all the boys belong to a club called “The He-Man Woman-Haters Club,” and just to make it clear, there’s a sign on the clubhouse that reads “No Girls Allowed.” Of course, this is a fun way…
Enduring to the Rescue
Enduring to the Rescue Christ the King Colossians 1:11-20 Luke 23:33-43 Do you remember Rubik’s Cubes? Years ago, I was using a Rubik’s Cube for a children’s sermon. The guy I borrowed it from had aligned all the sides so that they were the same color, and I made just 3 twists to kind of “mess it up.” I thought I could make it perfect again by just reversing these twists, and my talk was going to go something like this: “See…
An Eye for God’s Work
Isaiah 65:17-25 Luke 21:5-19 How many of you can wink? Would you turn to your neighbors on each side and give them a wink? Thanks! A wink is a special thing. I didn’t learn how to do it until I was in college—AFTER a disastrous loss in a ping-pong tournament. I was facing a pretty blonde who winked at me just before she served the ball—and I was unable to return her serves! So, I set myself to learn how to wink,…
A Snapshot of Heaven
A Snapshot of Heaven 22nd Pentecost Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 Luke 20:27-38 I know that many of you are already familiar with the story of little Colton Burpo. When he almost died in surgery, he reportedly took a little trip to heaven and got a glimpse of what awaits us! He was so little, the memories of his experience came out in brief snippets over a period of many months. He says that, while in heaven, he met members of his family…