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Showing posts with the label filling of the Holy Spirit

What Do You Expect?

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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 have gotten so used to the routine of com