Claimed, gathered and sent

These are some thoughts on this Sunday's reading from Philippians for the Second Sunday of Creation-Sky Sunday. This went out to the people of St. Timothy via email.  Philippians 2:14-18 14  Do all things without murmuring and arguing, 15  so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. 16  It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17  But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you— 18  and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me. Paul was in prison for his faith. He was concerned for his beloved Philippian church and so gives them these instructions.  But I have to tell you that when I read this passage, I couldn’t help but wo...

This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Church on Sunday, 8/12. The text was Philippians 2:1-13 . As we look at the example of Christ in Philippians 2, we need to know that Paul loved these people. He was instrumental in starting the church in Philippi. Their relationship brought Paul great joy, but if we read closely, something was up. There was something that created division, but we don’t know exactly what it was. Whatever the matter, the people of Philippi needed instruction. So, Paul is very emphatic right from the beginning of this passage. I’ll share with you how the Greek is much more dynamic in this first verse. Rather than the one “if,” which would be better understood as “since,” there are four. Translated literally it would read, “Since there is encouragement in Christ, since there is consolation from love”…etc. Paul does not mince his words. It is because of all these things in Christ, that Paul can continue with his instruction. The four “since”...

These are some thoughs for the second Sunday of Creation, when I'm focusing on the second lesson. This was sent electronically to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church . Philippians 2:1-8 2  If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2  make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4  Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5  Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6  who, though he was in the form of God,     did not regard equality with God     as something to be exploited, 7  but emptied himself,     taking the form of a slave,     being born in...

This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, August 5 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The text was John 1:1-14 . This is the first Sunday of our celebration of God the Creator and our focus is on earth. If we look at the first reading from Genesis, it begins, “In the beginning…God…” When we look at the first verse of John’s gospel, it begins, “In the beginning was the Word…” It’s kind of like Yogi Berra’ s statement,  “It’s deja vu all over again.” Today we are engaging the Prologue of John’s gospel, which reads like the poetry of a song, and so it likely is. Many scholars believe it is one which was sung in the churches of John’s time. Music helps us remember and it was and is a great way to learn scripture and theology. Like an overture to an opera or oratorio, John’s writing strikes the major themes that will occupy the entire gospel of John. In this song we see The Word at Creation, The Word in History and The Word Incarnate. Let us hear God’s love song. First of all, ...

These are some thoughts on this coming Sunday's readings. This month we are celebrating the Season of Creation. John 1:1-14 1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  He was in the beginning with God. 3  All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4  in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 6  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7  He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8  He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9  The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10  He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11  He came to what was his own, and his own peop...

This is what I preached on Sunday, 7/29 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text was Ephesians 3:14-21   Imagine a sermon in the form of a prayer, that consisted of only two long sentences (which is the case with the Greek). If we think of the letter to the Ephesians as a sermon, since it is a message, and there in the midst of this letter to the infant church, Paul prays. He prays for the congregations. He knows that he is unable to give them what they need in the face of struggles that lie ahead. Paul knows too, that being the church is not a self-help project. The church has to learn to rely on God, not themselves. So what exactly does Paul pray for? In the opening, Paul emphasizes the unity of humankind under God…” from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name” (vv. 14-15). Every means every—no one is excluded. This sums up what has been the chief argument of the first half of Ephesians, that in Christ Jews and Gentiles have been brought together to ...