Claimed, gathered and sent

It's hard to wait. Let's talk about this coming Sunday's gospel lesson. What are your thoughts and insights? This was sent out to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church.   Gospel: Matthew 24:36-44   [Jesus said to the disciples,] 36 “About that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had k...

This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy and St. Mark Lutheran Churches on 8/14. The text was Luke 12:49-56. There aren’t too many things in life we can be sure of, but in the Holy Land, the weather is one of them. Here in New York, when we make plans for outdoor events, it is always with backup plans of what to do in case of rain.   However, in the Holy Land, there are distinct rainy and dry seasons. If it is summer time, which is in the dry season, you can make definite plans for outdoor activities. It will not rain. If the sky becomes cloudy and dark, it just will not rain. That can be counted on! In the rainy season, if it clouds up, it will rain. In the summer you are likely to experience that dusty, scorching wind from the south. These are givens that the average person knows and understands. As Jesus said, these are signs that can be read. So, are you puzzled with the way Jesus portrays himself in today’s gospel lesson? Most of...

It has been a long time since I posted anything. It has been a very rough few months personally and in my ministry at Bethel. Due to financial issues, the church has had to make a change in the call. It will be going from full time to half time. After much prayer and discerning, I determined that I am not supposed to be that part time pastor for these wonderful people of God. I will remain here until Jan. 31, 2015 unless I receive a new call before that date. God has certainly challenged us all and we'll see what God has in mind for all of us. Whatever it is, it will be good. For the first Sunday of Advent, I preached on Isaiah 64:1-9. Here is the sermon:   Happy New Year! That’s right. Happy New Year! Normally, we associate the first day of the year with Jan. 1, but that is for the secular calendar. The church liturgical year starts on a different date and is traditionally 4 Sundays before Christmas. This period of four weeks before Christmas is Advent, which m...

This is the sermon I shared with God's people at Bethel Lutheran Church, Portville, NY. It is based on Matthew 1:18-25. Is it Christmas yet? If you are around small children this time of year, you know what a burning question this is for them. We have two more days to go until Christmas Eve, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Perhaps today’s gospel seems a bit misplaced. It is the fourth and final Sunday of Advent, not Christmas Eve. Yet we’re talking about the birth of Jesus---or are we? Only the first and last verses of today’s gospel reading are about the actual birth of Jesus. There is a larger story being played out driven by Mary’s unexpected pregnancy. These birth verses act as bookends to that drama. Divine works and signs permeate Matthew’s account of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth. But for God’s Son to become incarnate with us, a lot depended upon people cooperating with God. Human beings are not automatons without wills where everything happens...