Her faith saved her A sermon for the Third Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 6C) Luke 7:36-8:3 I notice bumper-stickers.  I even have one or two on my own car.  Once upon a time in my life, however, my car was festooned with them.  My sister, on one of her visits, looked at my car and said, “Wow!  You’ve got a lot to say!”  We came to refer to them as “preachy” bumpers.  The members of Canterbury will tell you that I have engaged in what is called “Bumper-sticker theology” in the past, and will probably do so in the future.  … Continue reading Her faith saved her

A sermon for Maundy Thursday, Year CJohn 13:1-17, 31b-35 Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.The hours are drawing to a close.The time for Jesus to be with his disciples is at an end. They had been through a lot together, this carpenter turned rabbi, all these ex-fishermen, and even a former tax-collector. They had just experienced some of the most tumultuous and exciting days of Jesus’ ministry – the raising of Lazarus from the dead, attempts to kill and arrest Jesus, and then the triumphal entry. With the echoes of “hosanna” … Continue reading He loved them to the end

A sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year CLuke 15:1-32 This morning we have heard a very familiar story – the story of a father and his two sons. Yet as usually happens with storytelling, you may have heard something in a new way or even heard something you never noticed before. Stories are like that. Audiences are like that too. The audience to whom Jesus was speaking was no doubt like his typical audience – crowds of curious people, waiting to hear what this radical rabbi would say next. His disciples were in the crowd, along with members … Continue reading The Two Lost Sons

A Sermon for Epiphany 6CJeremiah 17:5-10; Luke 6:17-26 One of the funnier movies I have seen in the last few years was a zany one, and I’ll admit I like zany movies, called “Rat Race.” It was really a throwback to a classic movie made in the 60’s called, “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” In both films a cast chocked full of your favorite actors and actresses go on a crazy adventure full of wacky situations and characters in hopes of getting an amazing treasure at the end – a fun concept, no doubt. Indeed we see other … Continue reading Woe to You, Rats!