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Showing posts from November, 2019

Sermon for Reign of Christ Sunday, "Subjects, Fans, Followers," Luke 23:33-43, John 6:24-35

Sermon 11/1/19 Luke 23:33-43, John 6:24-35 Subjects, Fans, Followers Today is the last Sunday of the church year. The church calendar - as in the church universal - begins a new year on the First Sunday of Advent, which is next week. Today, on the last Sunday of the church year, two special days are asking for our attention. First, it is Thanksgiving Sunday. Now, technically, that’s not a liturgical day - it’s not a specially marked day on the Church calendar. After all, it is only Thanksgiving in the United States this week, not around the world. But, of course, giving thanks is something we should excel at as people of faith, and certainly we know where to direct our thanks as worshipers. We give thanks to God, source of all our blessings.  Today is also Reign of Christ or Christ the King Sunday. It’s not a well-known day on the church calendar, and sometimes with Thanksgiving and the start of Advent, it is easy to let it get squashed out altogether. But it deserves ou

Sermon for All Saints Sunday, Psalm 24, Psalm 34:1-10, 22

Sermon 11/1/19 Psalm 24, Psalm 31:1-10, 22 All Saints Sunday Years ago, one of my pastors while I was in my college years sent one of those email forwards that used to be so popular. I’ve tried to find the source of the original, but it seems to be anonymous. The email was called “The Quiz” and it went like this: "Take a few moments to think about your answers to the following questions. Question 1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. 2. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest. 3. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize. 4. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for Best Actor and Actress. 5. Name the last decade's worth of World Series Winners. How did you do? If you are like most people, you can only fill in a few names here and there, but usually can't remember who did what and who won what. The point is most of us don't remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They're th