It’s Like This…

It’s Like This…

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

July 27, 2014

 

There’s a video which I’ve seen passed around a lot recently…

In the video 3 German students stop by a homeless man on the street.

They surprise him as they sit down on the ground next to him,

and start playing music.

 

They’re pretty good, and a crowd gathers to listen.

They put tips in a hat.

 

The man is at first hesitant to see these strangers sit next to him.

His eyes dart back and forth.

But as they play and sing,  you can see that he’s changed.

By the end of the song, he’s pleased.

The students give the tips to him, thank him, and walk away.

 

When Jesus wants to talk about the kingdom of heaven…

When Jesus wants to speak about the way God works in the world,

he tells stories.

None Lost

God in our Weeding: None Lost

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

July 20, 2014

 

They call it “false wheat.”

The bearded darnel is the most insidious of weeds,

It’s also known as “tares” in the Bible-

so you may have heard of this parable called the parable of the wheat and the tares.

 

Here’s what the bearded darnel does – it’s rather ingenious:

its roots surround the roots of healthy plants,

and suck up all the nutrients.

 

It gets so entwined with the other plants,

that it’s impossible to uproot without uprooting the good plants too!

Let It Go.

Let It Go.

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

July 6, 2014

 

Once upon a time in a land far away,

there was a king and a queen who had two daughters.

 

The young princesses absolutely adored each other.

They sang and they played all through the castle.

(Of course princesses live in castles.)

Their kingdom was in the north,

so one of their favorite things to do was…to make snowmen…

 

And yes – of course this is the story of Elsa and Anna –

the two young princesses from the most recent Disney film, “Frozen.”

 

Early in the movie, the older sister, Elsa,

discovers that she has magical powers.

When her emotions overtake her, she has the power to make things freeze.

This gift can be a beautiful one, but it also can be dangerous.

Commencement

Trinity – Commencement

June 15, 2014

Matthew 28: 16-20

 

I had a thought earlier this week,

that perhaps the best way to proclaim this gospel text

would be to say to you,

“Jesus says ‘Go!’”

…and head out the door!

But I had some second thoughts.

So here we are…

 

This passage from the gospel of Matthew is known as “The Great Commission.”

A person who is commissioned is given a new role or rank.

 

Military officers are commissioned.

In the church, we commission mission teams or deacons.

We send them out into the world with our blessing.

We say, ”Go!” –and they do!

 

Well here Jesus commissions the 11 disciples.

They are given new roles.

They had been students; now they’re teachers.

They were baptized; now their job is to baptize others.

 

I don’t know what the disciples were thinking about at the moment,

but I imagine they were a bit frightened at the prospect of losing their teacher,

of being on their own,

of being sent out into the world.

Power to the People!

Pentecost A – Power to the People

June 8, 2014

Acts 2: 1-21

 

Jesus tells the disciples to wait and they will receive the power of the Spirit..

Well here it comes!

 

This is what we celebrate on Pentecost!

 

This is one of the most exciting Bible texts there is..

the power of the spirit comes – and it comes as fire, wind, words…

 

It comes with the power of fire –

bright red and orange flames,

fire which blazes and crackles,

burns, spreads, and engulfs;

the power of the spirit is like the power of fire.

 

The Spirit comes with the power of wind –

wind which can strike hard and strong like a cold Arctic blast

or as  soft as a warm gentle breeze;

wind which comes out of nowhere and goes where it may;

wind which we cannot see;

the power of the spirit is like the power of wind.

 

The Spirit comes with the power of words –

words which are spoken in many languages;

words which are shared and understood by all people, everywhere;

words which carry power not only because of what they mean

but also because of by whom they are spoken;

words which are bold and daring, faithful and true;

the power of the spirit is like the power of words.