Sermons
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.”
In this time frame, which was probably only a couple of hours, Jesus washes the Disciples’ feet, and then has a really long speech, although it was interrupted a few times by the Disciple’s questions. And then there is a long prayer at the end of the long speech. The whole thing takes five chapters, which is almost one quarter of the entire Gospel. It indicates the importance that John placed on these last words on Maundy Thursday, the final teachings and final prayer that Jesus had for the Disciples. Jesus, in essence, is saying this is the most important stuff. I am about to go, and when I do you need to make sure you remember these things.
So what are these things?
Listen to or read Bingham’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”
Today, Jesus continues with more of his countercultural pronouncements of how to live in kinship with God, one another, and creation. Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you. What? These are the exact opposites of what we’ve been taught to do, right? Or at least what society tells us, what society values. Turn the other check?
Listen to or read Ryan’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”
The third thing that Paul argues, and I think this is the most important one because it will lead us to that message of love. Paul says that every single gift we have has been given to us for the common good. These gifts we have been given are not just for us to enjoy for ourselves. You may take pleasure in the gift, but they are given to us for the other, for the community, for something bigger than ourselves, for something outside of ourselves.
Listen to or read Bingham’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”
God wanted to shine a light in the midst of the darkness that we experience. And there is a lot of darkness in this world from the global level down to the personal level, and everything in between. God wanted to make sure that in the midst of all this darkness there would be a light.
Listen to or read Bingham’s entire sermon by clicking “read more.”
In St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians that we heard today, Paul offers a prayer for the people. He prays that they may be rooted and grounded in love. And he also prays that they may know the height and length and breadth and depth of the love of God. A love that surpasses knowledge, Paul says. When people are filled with this love, he says that God, through us, can do infinitely more than we can ask for or imagine.
Listen to or read Bingham’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”
