Claimed, gathered and sent

This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Church on Sunday, 11/24. The text is John 18:33-37 When confronted with a question, Jesus seems incapable of providing a definitive response. Here in today’s gospel, we have three sets of questions and answers. I want you to listen to them and then tell me if Jesus answered Pilate’s questions. First question: “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus responded, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?”  Next: “ What have you done?” Jesus answered this one, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Jesus is a different sort of king. He is the King o f truth, love, mercy and forgiveness. His kingdom is a different kind of kingdom. It is the now, but not yet, kingdom, earthly and spiritual. His kingdom is where he, the king, is. Pilate’s last question in this pas...

This is the sermon that was preached on Sunday, 11/26, Christ the King Sunday at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. It's a collaboration between parishioner Trish Pecuch and myself. The text was Matthew 25:31-46.    Today is Christ the King Sunday!  I have to admit, until Pastor Ivy mentioned it to me, I didn’t know really know anything about the occasion!  Christ the King Sunday is a newer addition to the church’s liturgical calendar- marking the last Sunday of the church year- Next week, the first Sunday of Advent, begins a new church year. It was created in 1925- (when the world was in turmoil) in response to increased secularism and atheism. With WWI having just taken place,  and many world dictators in the picture throughout Europe, Russia, and Mexico- Christ the King Sunday was created to remind the church-  that it belongs to Jesus- not to the world or the authority of any other person, country, or force---that Jesus’ authority is the only one that should...

This is the message I preached this morning at Zion Lutheran Church, Baker, WV. Text: Col 1:11-20 Being a part of our household can be quite an adventure and you just never know where it may lead. Those who know me well know I am not the most graceful or coordinated person. Inanimate objects in our home also suffer the consequences of getting bumped, knocked over, dropped, and sometimes broken. We keep a good supply of duct tape, glue, and other adhesives in stock. Things can be repaired or replaced. Super Glue is a wonderful invention. But what about our hearts, our emotions, our families, our church? It is not so easy to fix them. Super Glue is fine for things, but what about OUR brokenness? We all have circumstances we encounter in life. Sometimes it just becomes too much and we feel hopeless. And we wonder where God is in all of it. It just isn’t supposed to happen like that. Parents lose a child. A long marriage dissolves in the pain of divorce. The poet William Butler Yeats ex...