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...

James 3:1-12 You’ve probably heard it said that “Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” It’s the kind of thing people say to bullies, but whether we’ve been the victim or the perpetrator, I think we all know that names do hurt. The pain of words might be different from the pain caused by sticks and stones, but the damage is real. So we probably should be careful with what we say.  James understood this truth. In the very first chapter of his letter, James wrote that “if anyone appears to be ‘religious’ but cannot control his tongue, he deceives himself and we may be sure that his religion is useless” ( Jms. 1:26 JB Phillips). James writes this message about the power of the tongue right before he gives his definition of religion that is “pure and undefiled before God.” James takes up the subject of the tongue once again in chapter 3, where he suggests that the tongue is like a forest fire set by Hell itself. That does sound dangerous! James dire...

  Psalm 1 Picture yourself traveling down a road. You come to a fork in the road, so which fork do you choose? Which is the wise choice? What resources do you need to choose wisely? What do you need to know? When it comes to choosing wisely, one of my favorite scenes in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade has to do with choosing wisely. There is a group of people who have reached the room containing the Holy Grail. The room is filled with cups and chalices, but only one is the cup of Christ, which holds the promise of life. The knight guarding the grail tells the seekers: “But choose wisely, for while the true Grail will bring you life, the false Grail will take it from you.” If you’ve seen the movie, you know the villain goes first and chooses a beautiful jewel-encrusted chalice that was fit for a king. Unfortunately, when he drinks from the cup, instead of gaining life, he loses it in typical Spielberg fashion. Now, Indiana has to choose a cup that can provide life-...

Psalm 112:1-9 Back in the day, when I was in high school, we often sang this happy song at Bible Study. It goes like this: It’s a happy day and I thank God for the weather. It’s a happy day and I’m living it for my Lord. It’s a happy day and things are gonna get better,   Living each day by the promises in God’s Word.  (Gary Pfeiffer) There’s a second verse to the song that talks about having a grumpy day because we’re living it for ourselves instead of the Lord. I’m going to forgo singing that verse and stick with the happy verse. I will say this, both verses talk about the weather, which leads me to believe that the songwriter lived in Southern California near the beach.  The Psalmist has called on us to “Praise the Lord” because “happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments.” So, are you happy?  There’s another happy song that you may have learned at some point in time. That song invites us to clap...

Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31  In the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , Indy joined his father, Henry Jones, Sr., on a quest to find the Holy Grail. Just like with Raiders of the Lost Ark, they’re in a race against forces aligned with Adolph Hitler. If you know the Indiana Jones movie series, you know it’s filled with many twists and turns, pitting good against evil, and of course, lots of booby traps to be avoided. According to the movie, legend had it that an ancient order of knights protected the cup, which was hidden in a cave. Henry Jones, Sr., had made the Grail his lifelong quest and had a notebook filled with research that would help lead them to the Grail. At one point or another, both sides get possession of the notebook, and in the end, those on both sides who survived the booby traps ended up in the room where the cup of Christ was hidden. This chamber was filled with many cups and chalices. Most of the cups were exquisite in their beauty and value. So, which ...

Luke 16:1-13 What do you think about the manager’s behavior in this parable we just heard? Do you think the manager would be a good model for Christian behavior? It is true that the Prodigal Son was forgiven for squandering his father’s estate, but what about this squanderer? Do you think he deserves forgiveness?   This is a most unusual parable, which most scholars can’t seem to crack. Every time you read it, you’re left wondering why Jesus told a story like this! But Luke seemed to think that it merited inclusion in his Gospel. So, it must have something to say to us. But, is it the right passage to be used in a stewardship sermon? The answer to that is simple – the people at the  Center for Faith and Giving , including Ron Allen, thought it would be a perfect stewardship text. 

Proverbs 8:22-31 “In the beginning was the Word, . . . All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being” ( John 1:1, 3 ).  And Holy Wisdom declares:  “The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts long ago . . . then I was beside him, like a master worker” ( Proverbs 8:22, 30 ).  Both Word and Wisdom are expressions of God’s nature and are partners with God in the work of creation.    Some in our society believe that one cannot be both a Creationist and an evolutionist. They say that we have to choose – God or science. For the past ten years I have been involved in an effort to counter that belief. For ten years I have invited the congregations I served to observe  Evolution Sunday  on a weekend near the birthday of Charles Darwin. While we didn’t get a birthday cake for Charles, we are joining hundreds of faith communities across the country and beyond by worshiping with Charles ...

John 1:1-5, 14-18 Rembrandt's Jesus -- DIA The Psalmist asks: “Who is the King of Glory?” The answer: “The Lord of hosts, He is the King of Glory” ( Psalm 24:10 ).  These past few weeks we have been asking the question: How do we speak of God?  We’re asking this question rather than who is God, because God’s essence remains a mystery to us. But, if we speak of God we do have some idea about God’s identity. Of course, as Christian Piatt reminded us on several occasions last weekend, whatever our conceptions of God, we should hold them loosely. Instead of seeking certainty we live by faith.  The Gospel of John begins with this declaration:  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  John later tells us that this Word “has become flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son” (John 1:1, 14). So, “who is the King of Glory?”  It is, John believes, the God revealed in...

Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 I haven’t done a lot of square dancing in my life, but I’ve done enough to know the basics.  One thing I know for sure is that the Caller plays an important role in the success of the dance.  The Caller guides the dancers in their movement and their steps, and if you don’t follow the Caller’s voice, you’re liable to cause a bit of chaos.  But, if you heed the Caller’s voice, you’ll be successful in your dance. It’s Trinity Sunday and we hear the voice of Wisdom calling out to us, inviting us to join with God in a holy dance of joy!  If you go out into the narthex and look at our Core Values statement, you’ll find one that calls for us to be spiritually joyful. That is, our life with God should be filled with joy.   As that great hymn of the faith that opens our hymnal declares: Joyful, joyful, we adore thee, God of Glory, Lord of love, Hearts unfold like flowers before thee, opening to the sun above.   Melt t...

James 3:1-18 The song “Pass It On” starts with the words: “It only takes a spark to get a fire going.” If that fire is the love of God that warms the hearts of everyone who experiences God’s presence, then it’s  a good thing to pass on to others.  But not every fire is the same. There are also fires that can be very destructive, so you have to be careful with those kinds of sparks.   Early in life I learned how destructive fires can be.  When we lived in Mount Shasta, in northern California, we lived next door to a Fire Control Officer for the Forest Service.  When he was home, Mr. Gray’s green Forest Service pickup sat parked at the curb, ready to go at a moment’s notice.  We knew when there was a fire, because all the green pickups in the neighborhood headed out at the same time. Most of the fires occurred some distance from town, but on at least one occasion a fire started up on the mountain behind us, and we watched the flames lick the e...