Claimed, gathered and sent

This is the sermon I preached on 8/28 at St. Timothy and St. Mark Lutheran churches. The text was Luke 14:1, 7-14 . Are we all familiar with Tupperware? We all know how Tupperware is sold. Someone has a party and invites friends to come to the party and buy stuff. Have you ever been to a Tupperware party? What are your two biggest fears about going to a Tupperware party? The first is that you’re going to be asked to hold your own party and the second is that you know everyone who is at the party is going to have their own Tupperware party later on and you’re going to be invited. Although Jesus is not talking about Tupperware in today’s gospel, he does talk about parties and whom to invite and whom not to invite. And where do we find Jesus in today’s gospel? We find him attending a meal.  Much of the action in Luke’s gospel takes place around meals. Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal. Jesus always appears to be eating. He’d fit right...

Today another seminarian and I were on the road with Pr. Randy. We went to a chaplain's meeting at the Garrett County Memorial Hospital and got a tour of the hospital. Later we had lunch with another area pastor and then visited a congregant who was in the nursing home. Much of what we did today reminded me of the ministry I was involved with at Bethany Village for CPE. Driving back to where I'm staying in Friendsville, I could not help but be caught up by the beauty that surrounded me. It drew me in. I listened to see what God was saying. I could see myself in a similar setting. The people here are wonderful. I didn't hear anything. The Henri Nouwen devotion below spoke to me concerning the issue of hearing God's voice for direction. Enough Light for the Next Step Often we want to be able to see into the future. We say, "How will next year be for me? Where will I be five or ten years from now?" There are no answers to these questions. Mostly we have...

Teaching Parish is an opportunity to get our feet wet when it comes to public ministry. This is accomplished by "observing and listening to the congregation...by teaching and preaching...[and] by worshipping and praying with the congregation..." ( Teaching Parish Reference Book 2008-2009, p. 14). The first Sunday I attended Rural Lutheran incognito, so to speak. The pastor didn't introduce me or tell anyone I was coming. He wanted me to get a feel for the congregation the way a first time visitor would. and asked me to sit in a particular part of the congregation. Though there were only 30 + people attending, no one talked to me until the peace. Mouths moved, but no one sang around me. My overall response was one of sadness for the people. This past Sunday I could sit wherever I wanted and I was being introduced. The experience was completely the opposite. Was it because of where I was seated? Was it because more of the committed people were there? Was it because they wer...