This is the second week of our summer series “Breakthrough” where we are going to follow the lectionary readings of Luke’s gospel and learn from Jesus about the Kingdom of God and how it breaks through into our lives. This week’s reading comes from Luke 7:36 – 8:3 and is the story of a sinful woman and a pharisee. I wonder if we can really step into the story as the pharisee and see how similar we are.
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This week’s message is from Revelation 7, and it is a part of our All Saint’s Sunday worship. It is also a part of our continuing series on the foundations of faith. This week we examine “faithfulness” of those who have gone before us. Their lives are examples of Jesus’ faithful work, and as such they are an encouragement for us to run the race well and in faith.
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Here is my Christmas Eve sermon. It’s based on Revelation 12:1-9. Occasionally I do a manuscript for the message, and this was one of those times, so here you go:
I learned on Handy Manny this week that the true meaning of Christmas is that we should help each other, which is a really nice thing to do. I’ve heard other things about Christmas, like the true spirit of Christmas lives in the hearts of children everywhere, but I have to confess to you, I have no idea what that even means. Others will tell you that the meaning of Christmas is to love your family and appreciate those around you. That’s a nice thing too. I am all for loving people, unless they cut me off in traffic when I’m Christmas shopping, but then I repent and ask forgiveness. I have to confess to you, I’m not really concerned with controlling or fighting what the culture thinks about Christmas, although, I does feel at times like it’s a little forced, pre-packaged and like I’m being sold a bill of goods. I mean, it’s weird to hear of the warm love-y stuff that Christmas stands for and then watch people trample each other on Black Friday, but whatever. The whole battle for Christmas thing just isn’t my thing.
But, I am concerned about how the church presents and understands our story this time of year, the story of the Nativity; the story of the birth of Christ. I fear that we have domesticated it. It seems that we’ve taken an incredible story and tamed it. Maybe it’s because we’ve heard the story so often – familiarity breeds contempt and all that. Whatever the reason, we’re left with a rather impotent version of the Nativity, I fear. Continue reading “I’m Dreaming of a Cosmic Christmas”
This past week I had the pleasure of preaching back at my home church in Portland. It was such a joy to be able to share a message with the congregation that has had such a hand in shaping my faith. I preached on Revelation 6:1-8 and tweaked a sermon I did last fall called the 5th Horseman. The point of the sermon is that we are in trouble (now) as conquest, warfare, famine, and death have been a part of human history. We have one hope, one hero, and that I Christ, the 5th horseman found in Revelation 19. Much of the material about Rwanda can be found in the amazing book, “As We Forgive,” I’ll link it below.
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This is the eleventh sermon in our series on Revelation, which is called, “Apocalypse: John’s Visions, Our Decisions.” This sermon is from chapter 21:1-8, and it centers around God saying, “Behold, I make all things new.” I’ll put up the pictures I refer to – the snow covered tree here, and the blooming tree here. Finally, I”ll place a link to the David Bentley Hart book up here as well.
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This is the tenth sermon in our series on Revelation, which is called, “Apocalypse: John’s Visions, Our Decisions.” This sermon is from chapter 13. It deals with the nature of evil as being: 1. Unoriginal – it is a deprivation or warping of good; 2. Unnatural – it is dehumanizing; 3 Nonsensical – it contains no inherent meaning. What is the answer to the evil that pervades our lives? Jesus – so what if you did whatever it took to turn away from evil in whatever form it is in your life, and turn towards Jesus Christ?
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