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Livin' Wise - 14th Sunday after Trinity

9/25/2011

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Proverbs 4:10-23
Galatians 5:16-24
Luke 17:11-19
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Wisdom is a lost virtue in our society. Wisdom takes time. Wisdom is not just information, not just truth, not just best practices, but a virtue cultivated in you. Something gained through humility, though experience, it is often hard won. It tends to be learned through many failures, sins, and hard experiences. But it can also be learned from those who would teach it to you if you will listen. “Hear my son and accept my words... I have taught you the way of wisdom, I have led you in the paths of righteousness.”

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Funeral Sermon for Aileen Ellard

9/20/2011

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Isaiah 25:6-9
Revelation 19:4-9
John 11:32-45

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Aileen was a nurse. Helping people was a big part of her identity. In latter years when she was less able to do that in physical ways, she sometimes wondered about God’s purpose for her remaining here on earth. And I assured her that her warm greeting and hug for a young pastor every Sunday, her example of walking down to the hill to Bible study rain or shine, and rarely taking the many offered rides back up the hill, even in the dark of winter, her determination to always march up the aisle to the altar to commune with her Lord and receive His gifts of His body and blood for her, made a profound impact on all who knew her.

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Hidden Secrets - 13th Sunday after Trinity

9/18/2011

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2 Chronicles 28:8-15
Galatians 3:15-22
Luke 10:23-37

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

The things of faith are hidden. They can only be seen by faith. The eyes of sinful man are blind to them. Sinful man knows law because it is written on His stony heart. It’s in his mind from birth. It’s called the conscience. And so all mankind experiences it at work in creation when he reaps what he sows, whether good or bad. Mankind knows the Law. But he is blind to all but the Law. This is why when the lawyer stands up to test Jesus he asks about what he knows, the Law. He thinks he’s pretty smart. He thinks he can test this upstart rabbi, test His metal. But he is not asking a question in faith which trusts in God as his saviour. He’s asking a Law question. A question rooted in me, in my abilities, in my faith in myself.

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A Poke in the Ear - 12th Sunday after Trinity

9/14/2011

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Isaiah 29:17-24
2 Corinthians 3:4-11
Mark 7:31-37

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Our Lord thrust his finger in the ear of the deaf man, poking through the blockage as it were. He grabbed hold of the man’s tongue, yanking it out of his mouth. He groaned in deep compassion, feeling the man’s suffering, and really the suffering of His whole creation which He had come to earth to save. But right now He was focussed on this one little corner. This man. And how the impacts of sin at work in every single one of us had caused this man to be cut off, isolated, unable to hear, hardly able to speak. There were people all around him but so little communication going on. No one was able to know His thoughts, nor able to communicate with him except by touch, whether harsh or gentle.

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Everybody's Religious - 11th Sunday after Trinity

9/4/2011

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Genesis 4:1-15
1 Corinthians 15:1-10
Luke 18:9-14

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

God helps those who help themselves. That’s the religion of our world in a nutshell. And that phrase speaks volumes. It gives answers to how the world says you get saved? How you gain God’s favour? How you interact with the world around you? And for the world’s religion those answers are all wrapped up in these kinds of thoughts: work hard, be decent, help yourself, do it on your own, and you’ll be fine, you won’t be beholdin’ to anyone. And God, if he exists, will help you out some because you are good, decent, you are his kind of people. He’ll let you into heaven, cuz’ you are His kind of people, not like everyone else.

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Livin' Wise - 14th Sunday after Trinity

Funeral Sermon for Aileen Ellard

Hidden Secrets - 13th Sunday after Trinity

A Poke in the Ear - 12th Sunday after Trinity

Everybody's Religious - 11th Sunday after Trinity

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