Ash Wednesday 2020:Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
The word evangelical is posted on the front of the church of which I am called. The term ‘Evangelical’ has been claimed by one narrow theological viewpoint and codified as such by news networks across the planet. This text from Matthew points to a different form of evangelism.
Sermon Matthew 17:1-9
This week’s sermon looks at the current context of many shrinking congregations. Churches are faced with a challenging future. What will discussion, discernment and decision making look like in the coming years?
The bible says some awful things about how to treat divorced people. Specific verses have been used to abuse and alienate those in need of reconciliation. This sermon is a compassionate response.
This picture shows a broken and defaced crypt in Havana. I chose this image to remind people that if the church does not strive to be inclusive we will lack relevance and crumble.
This is a photo I took of Cape Blanco State Park in Oregon. This is an amazing beach. That is where our gospel takes place today. On the beach. Jesus calls his disciples from their boats and they follow. However, the call doesn’t end after they leave the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
We are all on a hunt. Just like the photo… the flea market I hunt in. Christ is revealed in the world. Christ will pop up in unexpected places and in unexpected ways. Sort of like the treasures I find at the flea market… but a little different.
This sermon reflects on the many states of water. The text from Matthew 3 tells us about Jesus’ Baptism. Jesus was immersed in these baptismal waters. We will still find Christ in our baptismal waters.
Preaching text- John:1-18
The three images below were used as slides during the sermon. The slides show us three science fiction movies that predicted the future wrong. Admittedly, “Back to the Future” was accurate in some of its predictions but it got the hoverboard thing wrong. I still want a hoverboard as shown in the centre image.
So why all this talk about predicting the future on screen? The 1st chapter of the Gospel of John actually transcends time. We are able to see that the gifts that God’s only son gives the world are eternal.
