Sermons tagged with ‘Faith’

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What About Nicodemus?

Answer to his question: A new birth that reclaims Jesus John 3:1-17 1Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you […]

Mary, Did You Know?

Mary: A model of trust in God A song often sung at Christmas is called, “Mary, Did You Know?” The words are address to Mary, wondering, as she looks at her newborn son, whether she knew what his life would be like, what miracles he would perform, what suffering he would endure, and what he […]

The Parable of Steadfast Love… Not Sacrifice!

God asks, What sacrifice will it take? Martin Luther, the man whose name is the root of our denominational identity, summed up the mysterious dilemma of our relationship to our creator by declaring that human beings are both “sinner” and “saint.” Not that we bounce back and forth between the two, but that we are […]

About violence: We are thermostats, not thermometers

Thermostats set the temperature Today’s reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans goes like this: 1I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (reasonable service)  2Do not be conformed to this […]

Table Scraps and Divine Mercy

Who gets God’s mercy? Not them! Jesus certainly seems to have a knack for upsetting the orthodox, religiously impeccable Jewish authorities. Their carefully defined practices for maintaining ritual purity have been debated by the wisest of rabbis over time and serve as their assurance that they will be received into the presence of the Most […]