Sermons on Church's Year (Page 3)

Did you bring the Myrrh?

Detail of the Three Kings from The Adoration of the Magi, tapestry, wool and silk on cotton warp, 101 1/8 x 151 1/4 inches (300 x 384 cm.), Manchester Metropolitan University. Matthew 2:1-12 I hope the year is off to a good start for you personally. On a wider front, I am sure that like me you have watched the fires in Australia and the murder of Iranian general Soleimani with deep concern. I am grateful for the night-time prayer from…

Come Thou Unexpected Jesus

Photo by Visit Greenland @ pexels.com Titus 2:11-14 Luke 2:1-14(15-20) I’ve been particularly enjoying the Christmas music this year.  On Sunday, Ann Lucas our musician played an arrangement of the hymn “Come thou long-expected Jesus” and my friend Jill was interested to realize that this was the same melody that we use for another hymn. As she was chatting about it she kept saying, “Come thou Unexpected Jesus” and I kept correcting her – “No, no,” I said, “It’s come…

Love

Picture by Carlos Quintero, unsplash.com Matthew 1:18-25 Love.  It’s the reason for the season. It’s the center of the Christian narrative. Not sin nor guilt nor judgment but incredible love. Creation has been described as the pillow-talk of the Trinity. We were conceived in love and created in love and we are nourished in love. Here are some of our central understandings: “For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten-son that all who believe in him…

Joy!

Photo by Delfino Barboza @Unsplash.com   One of the ways that I know there is a long way ahead of me on the spiritual path is when I see holy men like the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu laugh. These are people who have experienced great suffering both personally and as part of an oppressed people. Yet they can laugh and laugh. It seems that joy is the mark of a child, and also of a spiritual master.  It is…

Peace

Photo by Alice Donovan Rouse@unsplash.com Isaiah 11:1-10 Matthew 3:1-12 What does peace look like? When you imagine peace what does it look like or what does it feel like? Today’s reading from Isaiah gives us a lyrical if unlikely image of peace, The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze,…

Hope

Photo by Kelly Sikkema @ unsplash.com Isaiah 2:1-5 Romans 13:11-14 Matthew 24:36-44 I read in the news this morning the sad story of Ron, a man in Maine, who rigged a pistol in his front door so that anyone who tried to enter would be shot.  Unfortunately, he made a mistake – I don’t know the details – but on Thanksgiving he walked into his own booby trap, was shot by the pistol and later died of his wounds. This…

St. Francis

Francis preaching to the birds, Painting by Giotti, 13th century Today we celebrate St Francis Day. There are three things that I associate with St Francis: his connection with birds and animals his church reform movement which became the Franciscan order and included taking vows of poverty the understanding that Christ is in all of creation You may remember the story of how Francis had a mystical vision  in the forsaken country chapel of San Damiano, just outside Assisi, in which the Icon…

Go!

Acts 2:1-21 John 14:8-17, (25-27) It’s always a little tricky doing a sermon series as we have been during Eastertide, because you never know whether the readings for the day will help or hinder your theme. Today they mesh perfectly because we have reached Go on the sevenfold Way of Love. In addition to each of the seven movements being inter-related, Turn and Learn form a pair as do Prayer and Worship, and now Bless and Go. Last week Barry…