Claimed, gathered and sent

This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy and St. Mark Lutheran churches this past Sunday, 9/6. The Gospel was Mark 7:24-37.             There is nothing easy in today's gospel reading, especially in the first story about Jesus' encounter with the Syrophoenician woman who wanted healing for her daughter. It's a head scratcher and there are some things in this story that disturb us.             Did we really hear Jesus say what he said to the woman? He sounded mean and angry. Maybe if we have a better understanding of the text and the culture his words won't seem as harsh. Wwwwwrrrroong! I tried that, but it didn't work. Jesus' words were anything but kind. As a matter of fact, they were outright rude!              Jesus is exhausted after so much ministry. He is attempting to escape from the demands of the crowds. It ...

This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, Aug. 30 at St. Timothy  and St. Mark Lutheran Churches. The text was Mark 7:1-8,14-15, 21-23 . How many of us have had this experience as we have prepared a meal? You have your vegetables all ready and they look fabulous. You got an especially great deal on them.  Let's say you are ready to chop up a green pepper. You cut the pepper in half. When you see the inside, it's all nasty and moldy. It was so beautiful on the outside and you could just imagine the wonderful flavor it would add. However, the pepper was not what it appeared to be. This example illustrates the gist of what Jesus is talking about in today's gospel reading.   Jesus was in Galilee with his disciples when his frequent opponents the scribes and Pharisees who traveled from Jerusalem, arrive on the scene. We tend to have a very negative impression of the Pharisees. They often seem hung up on such minutiae. But, believe it or not, they ...