Tag: Sermon

Between Sarah and Abraham the practice of hospitality with their guests is extra-ordinary. We don’t tend to consider the spread of food that they put on together but it’s of truly heroic, epic proportions.

July 14th has become the day when the French celebrate their national identity – and identity is what’s important in our readings today.

We don’t get to hear God’s inflection. So, it depends on where we put the emphasis in that question: What are you doing here?

I will draw all the water from the sea and empty it into this hole quicker than you will succeed in containing the vast mystery of God in the mere words of a book.

‘Ebenezer’ might be a word that sounds old and dated to our ears but this Pentecost Sunday, the birthday of the Church and this church, may the Spirit descend on us again and let today be a fresh Ebenezer—may this be a place of praise for what God has done both in this building and in each of our lives. But also a mark of trust for what’s to come.

Unless our Christianity makes us kind, it’s not real.  Unless our change of heart is guaranteed by our change of deeds, it’s superficial & false. Let’s pray that our actions speak louder than our words.

Com is with, fort is strength. Comforter, one who brings strength. Someone who would make them strong would come to them.

How will we be the ongoing visible presence of God, here, in this time and in this place? How do wE become both guest and host?

The menorah is lit night after night as a reminder of the miracle of the oil that lasted longer than it should have. In Baptism, we light a candle, too, saying, “Shine as a light in the world…”

Back on the beach, there’s unfinished business to attend to – the restoration of Peter. ‘Do you love me?’ Jesus asks Peter. He asks again and again until Peter is fed up.

Nowhere else in Scripture is that affirmation, those words of witness, made. And they were drawn from the mouth of the much maligned, Thomas. Courageous Thomas, questioning Thomas. But doubting? I doubt it.

What kind of donkey do you prefer? A limo-style donkey or a get-away donkey? Do we lean towards confrontation or modesty?

You and I need to trust that God knows what’s best for us. That God’s playing a long game for our benefit. We can be flawed and imperfect too but God’s still there for us.

Who are you and what kind of person are you? And do you ever take the time to think about it?

So, God makes a human from red clay. Like Michaelangelo with his red wax model – I wonder if God’s fingerprints were left somewhere on Adam too.