Claimed, gathered and sent

This is the sermon I preached on All Saints' Sunday, 11/3/19 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text was Ephesians 1:11-23 . On All Saints’ [Sun]day, it is not just the saints of the church that we remember in our prayers, but all the foolish ones and wise ones, the shy ones and overbearing ones, the broken ones and whole ones, the despots and tosspots and crackpots of our lives who, one way or another, have been our particular fathers and mothers and saints, and whom we loved without knowing we loved them and by whom we were helped to whatever little we may have, or ever hope to have, of some kind of seedy sainthood of our own [says Frederick Buechner in The Sacred Journey]. Today’s second reading is telling us that all we need to know to be a saint we find in Christ. The fabulous, flowing language sweeps us away as we hear about all the wonderful things Paul asks God to do for the saints of Ephesus. This letter was meant to be circulated to other churches as well ...

This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Churc h, on Sunday, Nov. 6. The scripture reading was Ephesians 1:11-23. All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten is a book of short essays by American minister and author Robert Fulghum. Fulghum explains how the world would be improved if adults adhered to the same basic rules [learned by] children, [such as] sharing, being kind to one another, cleaning up after themselves, and living  "a balanced life" of work, play, and learning. (Wikipedia) Today’s second reading is telling us that all we need to know we learn in Christ. The fabulous, flowing language sweeps us away as we hear about all the wonderful things Paul asks God to do for the saints of Ephesus. This letter was meant to be circulated to other churches as well as the church at Ephesus. This message is meant for us today. The phrase "in Christ" begins this reading and runs throughout it. That relationship o...

This is the message I preached Sunday for God's people at Bethel Lutheran Church, Portville, NY. Yesterday my daughter Sarah, granddaughter Grace, Ray and I watched one of my favorite Christmas movies, “A Christmas Story.” The movie is about a boy named Ralphie and his obsession with the Red Rider BB gun, which he desperately wants for Christmas. Unfortunately, Ralphie gets the same response from every person he mentions the BB gun to. His parents, teacher, even Santa told him, “You’ll shoot your eye out.” So, Ralphie softened his approach, trying to hint as opposed to outright telling his parents what he really wanted for Christmas. However, one day, his mother asked Ralphie what he wanted for Christmas. Ralphie excitedly blurted out that he wanted the Red Rider BB Gun listing all of its wonderful attributes in one breath. So much for the subtle approach.  Paul is a bit like Ralphie as he waxes eloquent about all the wonderful things God has done for us in Christ. ...