September 4, 2016 – April Herron – “God at Work”
Sermon: sermon
In its most general sense, “labor” means productive activity. It can also refer to a group of people laboring, to a job or task to be done, and to work (both mental and physical) of a difficult or fatiguing kind. On this weekend when we honor the dignity and dedication of all who labor, we have the opportunity to reflect on an image from the prophet Jeremiah which reminds us that God is hard at work, striving to perfect God’s creation. God, suggests Jeremiah, is up to God’s elbows and spattered all over with something that looks a lot like mud, because God has a vision for us and for the world which God is still laboring to bring into being.
The specific scripture text for Sunday will be Jeremiah 18:1-11. April’s sermon is called, “God at Work.” We will be sharing in the Lord’s Supper at all three services.
Scripture: scripture
September 11, 2016 – Jonathan Chute – “Losers”
Sermon: sermon
This Sunday’s gospel includes two of Jesus’ most joyful parables – the lost sheep and the lost coin. The shepherd’s determination to find one sheep is risky. He could lose the rest of the flock. The woman searching for her coin is relentless. Her effort seems totally out of proportion to the value of what she has lost. But when each has found what they are looking for, they are overwhelmed with joy. Jesus says that their rejoicing is like that of God, who celebrates when those who are lost have been found. But it turns out that not everyone loves a party. The text for Jonathan’s sermon is Luke 15:1-10, and his title is “Losers”.
Scripture: scripture
September 18, 2016 – Jonathan Chute – “Cooking the Books”
Sermon: sermon
The gospel for this Sunday is one of the hardest and strangest of Jesus’ parables. It tells the story of a rich man and his lazy – and dishonest – manager. When the manager is caught stealing from his boss we expect the rich man to punish him severely. Instead he praises his manager for his shrewdness. The parable seems to encourage behavior we would hardly want to follow, and even less to encourage! So how is this part of the “good news”? The text for Jonathan’s sermon is Luke 16:1-13, and his title is “Cooking the Books”.
Scripture: scripture
September 25, 2016 – Jonathan Chute – “One Small Step”
Sermon: sermon
This Sunday, our gospel tells the story of a man with a vision problem. He cannot see the beggar who lives right outside his own front door. Lazarus, the beggar, is invisible to the rich man – that is, until the two men reach the end of their lives and enter eternity. There Lazarus rests in heaven, right at Abraham’s side, while the rich man suffers in torment. Though they are separated by a great distance, now it seems he can see Lazarus clearly. The rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus to bring him a cup of water. But Abraham tells him that the once tiny distance that separated them in life has become a great chasm. The text for the sermon is Luke 16:19-31, and Jonathan’s title is “One Small Step.”
Scripture: scripture
