Sermons
God has a dream for this world, a vision in which everyone can thrive, in which everyone doesn’t have everything they want, but they have at least everything that they need; that everyone can use the gifts that God has given them, and they can find joy and love and grace, have dignity and respect; that every person is given the honor due the image of God that is within them, the image of God in which they were made.
Listen to or read Bingham’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”
Today, Jesus is talking to us about all those things that we work so hard to get. Although society tells us otherwise, Jesus reminds us that our lives and our identities are NOT based on the things we’ve accumulated. Sure, we need SOME things, and I know I certainly ENJOY certain possessions. But, like Martha, Jesus reminds us once again that our focus should NOT be on producing, consuming, or accumulating. Instead, it should be on relationship, on growing rich toward God. Today, Jesus challenges us, invites us, and reminds us, about our relationship with our things and our relationship with God.
Listen to or read Ryan’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”
In the Epistle for today, Paul implores us to remain established in the faith, which brings up the question, what is the faith? What is faith itself? There is a popular idea of what faith is out in society, and many churches do teach it. It is the idea that faith is about having the right answer. You need to have the right answer about knowledge, you need to have the right answer about the nature of God, or the correct Biblical interpretation, or the morally correct position on some social matter, or knowing the right words to say. That is what faith is: being right. And since faith and salvation are so intertwined, it creates an anxiety about what happens if you fail the test, and the depth of the consequences if you do. In some traditions it is not failing the test, it is about getting any one answer wrong. If you don’t get an A+ it isn’t good enough. What are the implications of that? It can create a huge sense of anxiety in people, even trauma for understanding the faith in this way.
Listen to or read Bingham’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”
In today’s story Martha is distracted, just like us, she has too many things to do, too much on her plate. She is worried and her mind is spinning from one thing to the next. And then Jesus comes along and says: There is need of only one thing.
How very Zen of Jesus! One thing? Really? Just one thing? Well, alright, go ahead and tell me what it is then!
Listen to or read Ryan’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”
Jesus’ usage, indeed the biblical usage, of neighbor refers to everyone, with the emphasis seeming to be on neighbor as stranger. I presume that’s because it comes naturally to be kind to those with whom we already have loving relationships.
Listen to or read Sharon’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”
The Kingdom of God is a Kingdom of comfort and care and compassion and love which every single person made in God’s image has the dignity and respect that they were made with. Every single person gets to enjoy and flourish and thrive. It is a beautiful image. This is what those 70 people are meant to go and proclaim, the Kingdom of God has come near.
Listen to or read Bingham’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”
I don’t know about you, but I think Jesus sounded rather cranky in the Gospel today. He is not quite the all-loving, all-patient, all-calm, all-compassionate Jesus that we are used to. He is still compassionate, it’s not like he lost it. When the Samaritans reject him and the Disciples wanted to rain down fire upon them and destroy them, Jesus said no. He has compassion on the Samaritans, and he rebukes the Disciples for suggesting such a thing.
Listen to or read Bingham’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”
