What is Church?
Text: Matthew 16:13-20
Other texts: Romans 12:1-8
The word “church” appears only two times in all the Gospels. The first time is in the passage we just heard. The second time is also in Matthew, two chapters later.
Read MoreAuthor: Chris Kelly
Little Faith
Text: Matthew 14:22-33
How much faith, exactly, is a little faith? Is a little faith too little? Or is it just little enough? A little faith the size of a mustard seed, Jesus tells us earlier in the Gospel of Matthew, is enough to command a mountain to go from here to there. How much faith is there in this story of Jesus and Peter and the stormy sea? Half a seed, maybe. Or was it more like two seeds.
Read MoreI’m Your Waiter for Tonight
Text: Matthew 14:13-21
It was no picnic.
The 5000 men and who knows how many women and children had gathered not to have a good time. They had not come for a meal. They had come to be healed.
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Read MoreI’ll Never Leave You Alone
Text: Psalm 119:129-136
Other texts: 1 Kings 3:5-12
Young king Solomon prayed for wisdom.
I am only a little child, he prayed. I know nothing. I do not know how to go out or how to go in. Yet I am a man of great responsibility. How can I govern the people without wisdom? Where will that wisdom come from? Solomon prayed. God answers Solomon’s prayer. I do now, according to your request, give you wisdom and a mind that can discern one thing from another and to understand what is right to do.
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Read MoreThis is the Place
Text: Genesis 28:10-22
Other texts: Psalm 139
Jacob was in trouble. He had not been a good brother to his twin brother Esau. Esau was out to get Jacob, and for good reason. Jacob had cheated Esau. Twice. First Jacob had cheated him of his birthright, the right as first born to inherit. Then Jacob cheated him of his father’s blessing. There was very little to like about Jacob and not much to like.
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Read MoreParables are Weird
Text: Matthew 13:1-0
The Bible is authoritative.
When you start thinking about theology, which you might call philosophy about God, the first thing you do is establish what you consider authoritative. That is, if you want to settle an argument, to whom can you turn? Who has the final say? What is the source of information that is at the foundation of what you say? One common source of authority is tradition, which is a jargon word meaning what the church has taught for centuries. Another source might be your own experience, such as things that have happened to you or maybe revelations you have had. Perhaps you have heard God speaking to you. Another source might be expert witnesses, which could be pastors or the Pope or other theologians.
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Read MoreLighten Up
Text: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Jesus offers lots of guidance, most of which we don’t follow. Jesus makes lots of suggestions, most of which we don’t take. Jesus gives us a few commandments, most of which we don’t honor. Jesus makes lots of promises, most of which we decline to accept.
Read MoreDoctor J
Text: Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
Healing is as much at the center of human existence as suffering is.
We are not just creatures who suffer, we are also creatures who are relieved of suffering. We get sick and then we get well. Our vocabulary of faith holds words like renew, restore, redeem, repent, resurrect, refresh, reborn. Words of healing.
Read MoreLess of the blah blah blah
Text: Matthew 7:21-29
Blah blah blah.
We are none of us short of words. We are generous to a fault with the words that come from our mouths. We are rich to overflowing with the abundance of words that come to our ears and eyes. Everybody has something to say and there are lots of ways they can tell us about it. We are a wordy culture. Words are the primary output of our economy. Words, more often than things, are what we work with.
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Read MoreOrdinary Trinity
Text: Genesis 1:1-2:4a
Other texts: Psalm 8
Yesterday a few folks came to work on the garden and grounds of the church. The sun shone. The air was perfect. Plants were growing. People walked by, happy and content. It was good. It was very good.
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