Claimed, gathered and sent

This is the sermon I preached Sunday, Aug.16 at St. Timothy's and St. Mark's.  The text is Ephesians 5:10-20.        One of my seminary professors, Dr. Marty Stevens, told the story of her experience at church in Gettysburg one Sunday. She was talking with a woman who had retired from teaching at the seminary. Full of enthusiasm, Dr. Stevens asked this woman what she was expecting God to do this Sunday in worship. The bewildered retired professor said she didn't know. She didn't come to worship with any particular type of expectation. All she did was come to church. She asked Dr. Stevens, "What do you expect?" Dr. Stevens replied, "I expect miracles!"           What do you expect when you come to church? Do you believe God is real and his presence is here in this place and everyplace we go? Do you simply come to church with no expectations or do you expect miracles? I have a feeling that many of us hav...

Ephesians 5:15-20 15   Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, 16   making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17   So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18   Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, 19   as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, 20   giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. How do we get "filled with the Spirit?" We received the Holy Spirit in baptism, but doesn't it seem that some people seem more in tune with God and God's people than others? Here's one way to be filled with the Spirit: In the reading from Ephesians we are encouraged to give “ thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ ” (Eph. 5:20). Orthodox Christians teach a tradi...