Words of Welcome

  Matthew 25:1-13 Most of us have been to a wedding and maybe even in a wedding or two. Over the years I’ve been the groom, a co-best man, groomsman, usher, and of course, being a pastor, I’ve officiated at a few. Like most pastors, I have a few stories to tell.  Most of the weddings I’ve officiated went fairly well, though there were a few that could have gone badly. The most memorable event took place during one of my earliest weddings. That was when the bride almost went up in flames. I learned my lesson: Don’t let the bride’s train catch on the free-standing candelabra after lighting the unity candle. Better yet, don’t use free-standing candelabra. There also have been a few weddings that were delayed for one reason or another. In one a bridesmaid got sick on the way to the church and in another a drunk father-of-the-bride disappeared right before the wedding began. Of course, these were the exceptions, not the rule.  This morning, Matthew takes to a wedding sc...

    William Holman Hunt's "The Light of the World" Matthew 3:1-12 Someone’s Knocking at the Door, Somebody’s Ringing the Bell Someone’s Knocking at the Door,  Somebody’s Ringing the Bell Do me a favor and  open the door and let em in.  (Paul McCartney) Paul McCartney’s song might not be your typical Advent hymn, but it does capture the essence of this morning’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew. It would appear that someone is knocking on the door of our lives. So, will you open the door? Now, if you open the door, the person knocking could be John the Baptist who wants to warn us that change is in the air. The person bearing this message might seem a bit off-putting. According to Matthew John was an interesting character who dressed in camel skin clothes and toted a lunch pail full of locusts and honey. This is the message John brings to those who open the door: "Change your hearts and lives!  Here comes the kingdom of heaven!” (Mt. 3:2, CEB).  ...

  John the Baptist, Rosary Basilica, Lourdes Isaiah 40:1-11 Imagine this scene: You’re standing in the heavenly courts when God gets up to speak. God tells the heavenly council: “Comfort, O comfort my people.” Yes, “speak tenderly to Jerusalem” because the city has paid the penalty. Therefore, the time for healing has begun.      Then a voice from the council responds: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God” so that “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.” That’s good news for exiles living in Babylon because that means it’s time for God to lead them home on a brand-new freeway!   Then a third voice offers a word of caution. While God is faithful, people are a lot like grass that withers when “the breath of the Lord blows upon it.” Nevertheless, despite our tendency to fall short of God’s expectations, God’s word stands forever. In this, there is hope.  So, let us go to the mountain a...

Philippians 1:3-11 We entered Advent last Sunday with the choir leading us through the Christmas story in narrative and song. They did us a favor by connecting the biblical story with our contemporary story. They reminded us that the Holy Family ended up as refugees, guided by angels to safety. With that broader story in mind, both ancient and modern, we hear the Advent invitation to prepare ourselves for the Advent that took place some two thousand years in the past and the Advent that is yet to come. The path we are taking will lead to that moment on Christmas Eve when we will hear the message that  Jesus is the reflection of God’s glory, and the one who sustains all things by his word ( Heb. 1:1-4 ). Hearing that message we can join the angels in singing “ Gloria in excelsis Deo ”; “Glory to God in the highest.” Christmas Eve will come soon enough, but there is still more to do before we get there. Last Sunday, we lit the candle of hope, and today we lit the P...

Leviticus 25:1-12 When Douglas MacArthur retreated from the Philippines in the face of the Japanese invasion early in World War II, he boldly declared: “I shall return.”  And he did!  While we’re not facing invasion as a congregation, and though I’m not fleeing for my life, this phrase popped into my mind when I was thinking about what to say in my final sermon before leaving on my sabbatical.  Now, I could have gone with another famous quote; one that was uttered by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie The Terminator:   “I’ll be back!”  Either one works, because even though I’m saying good-bye – I’ll be back before you know it! So, by the end of this coming week we will be entering this season of rest and renewal that we call a sabbatical.   Now, I must admit that it’s not going to be  easy for me to do this, because I’m not very good at resting.  John McCauslin is already worried about this! Now, I do take a day off most weeks a...

Mark 1:1-8 According to Proverbs you should keep an eye on nature, because you can learn important life lessons.  So if you can learn from the ants, what about the squirrels that are always running around my backyard? Our family enjoys watching the ever-fatter squirrels scurrying across our deck and yard carrying nuts and seeds in their mouths.  While I’m not thrilled with their attempts to  plant trees in the lawn, I understand why they do this, and the show does keep us entertained.  As enjoyable as the show is, what lesson might we learn from their behavior? Is it the fact that they seem to know instinctively how to prepare for the winter long before the first snow begins to fall?  It’s just built into their systems.  They don’t seem to need any training to know that they need to fatten up in the good times and to store up supplies for the winter.   After all, they can’t drive to the grocery store if the fridge gets empty. We huma...

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5     A moment ago we commissioned two of our own to do the work of the ministry.  We shared together in the commissioning of Alex and Rial to be Stephen Ministers, a ministry of pastoral care and service to this community of faith.  According to information I found on the Stephen Ministries website:      The Stephen Series is a complete system for training and organizing lay people to provide one-to-one Christian care to hurting people in and around your congregation. With their commissioning, we have recognized and affirmed the gifts and calling of these two people to take up this caring ministry in the congregation.     Perhaps it’s providential that this service of commissioning occurred on the day that we begin observing the Week of the Ministry.   Each October our churches observe The Week of the Ministry in order to lift up the call to ministry, both in its lay and clergy forms.  This year, for...

Malachi 3:1-4 If you’re planning to host a holiday party, you’ll have to get the house ready. That may mean doing some much needed winter cleaning. Dusting, mopping, vacuuming, polishing, cleaning the bathrooms, and washing and ironing those table cloths. Of course, you also have to prepare the food, unless you decide to save time and hire a caterer. Once you get all that done, you still have to get yourself ready. After all, a good host has to be properly bathed and clothed. At least that’s what you have to do if you want to throw a successful high society party. But, what if your anticipated guest is the Lord of creation? How should you prepare for such a visit? I. PREPARE THE WAY!! This question of preparation is central to the season of Advent. Although, too often this is a season that gets swept aside by all the commotion of the season that follows. When it comes to Advent, we really don’t know what to do with it. We don’t know the hymns, beyond “O Come, O ...

Matthew 25:1-13 It’s important that you not be late to a wedding, especially if it’s your own. If you’re a bridesmaid, and you’re late, you might as well go home! Over the years I’ve been to, been in, and presided over many weddings, so I have a few tales to tell. On one occasion I was sitting in the office with the groom and best man, waiting for the bridal party to arrive. You see this bridal party had decided to get ready at home and come in the limo dressed to go! Well, after some delay word came that one of the bride’s maids had gotten sick, and the limo had returned to the house. We finally got the wedding started, about an hour late. I’ve had to chase down fathers’ of the bride, groomsmen, and even brides maids. It’s not pretty when things go wrong! Fortunately, Bryan and Felicia’s wedding came off without a hitch – in spite of the rain! 1. The Kingdom of God is: Jesus talked a lot about the kingdom of God, or as Matthew puts it, the Kingdom of Heaven. ...

Malachi 3:1-4 If you’re planning to have people over during the holidays, you have to get the house ready, which means doing the winter cleaning. Dusting, mopping, vacuuming, and polishing, cleaning the bathrooms and washing the table cloths. Of course, you’ll have to prepare the food, unless you decide to save time and hire a caterer. And once you get all that done, you have to get yourself ready. After all, a good host has to be properly bathed and clothed. To start with you might take a trip to Nordstrom's or maybe Ross to get just the right outfit. Then there’s the hair, always the hair. It has to be cut, curled, and colored! And when everything else is ready, you can go take a shower, because a good host wants to be clean and refreshed. At least that’s what you have to do if you want to throw a successful high society Christmas party. PREPARE THE WAY!! This is the second Sunday in Advent, and Advent is a season of preparation. During this season we get ready for Christmas. Now...