Prepare Ye

I'm cleaning out the closet of unused sermons. This one is from February 7, the 5th Sunday of Epiphany. It was written in outline form and I've quickly put it into sentence-like things. Please excuse missing punctuation or incomplete thoughts. The texts are here . This week’s lessons are about answering the call of God In the play, and movie, Fiddler on the Roof, the main character, Tevye, says in prayer, “God, I know. I know. We are your chosen people. But, once in awhile, can't you choose someone else?" A common thought of people who are called by God is “Here I am Lord. Send someone else.” Many people are called. Many people hear the call. Not all are willing to answer that call. Because that call is terrifying. The prophet Isaiah has a vision of God sitting on a throne. God is SO large that just the hem of God’s robe fills the Temple. The throne is surrounded by Seraphim. These are not the cute, cuddly baby angels we have come to think of, I don’t know

Truth in posting disclosure - This was to be my sermon/message for Ash Wednesday, but we got snowed out again. Figured I'd share this with my half-dozens of readers for your amusement. After I was confirmed, when I was a teenager, I did not like the worship services when we received Communion. It was ironic that after two years of classes, of studying and of education, now that I was able to receive the body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ, I did not like those services. I could not figure out why. I thought maybe it was because I did not feel worthy of receiving communion, that I wasn’t “good enough.” But that wasn’t it. Maybe I was afraid I would make a mistake, and go forward when I should not, or that I would drop or spill something. But that wasn’t it. It was not until I returned back to St. John after having spent way too long away from the church. Our family’s “assigned seats” were on the far right of the sanctuary as you looked from the back, right across the aisle fro

Just to ‘fess up, this was originally my sermon for Transfiguration Sunday, February 14. The Gospel lesson for that day was Luke 9:28-43. Jesus went up to the mountain and was transformed. That is an experience that I understand. No, I did not have a revelation or epiphany during the weeks when I have been snowed in at the Garden. I’m actually referring to the last weekend of January when I went to Eagle Eyrie camp for the Virginia Synod’s Winter Celebration event. Now as someone from Michigan, who is actually used to getting this much snow, we celebrated winter that weekend, twelve to sixteen inches of winter. Winter Celebration is one of several youth events put on by the Virginia Synod as faith building, sustaining, nurturing events for youth. I strongly encourage the youth to go to these events, and I encourage adults to go as chaperones or as small group leaders. There is something about getting away from your everyday life, going up a mountain, (the camp where most of the events

My favorite piece of classical music and one of my favorite Muppets all in one. Beethoven's Ode to Joy as done by Beeker.

Today, (February 8, 2010) the day after the Super Bowl, there are several writers who are writing apologies or rationales for Peyton Manning walking off at the end of the game without acknowledging any of the victorious Saints. And I call BULLSHIT. They say shaking hands after a loss is disingenuous. They say walking off isn't a sign of poor sportsmanship. And I call BULLSHIT. Whether it was LaBron James, Bill Belachuck or my beloved Detroit Pistons Bad Boys, it is classless, poor sportsmanship and just lame to go running into the tunnel at the end of the game. It is a poor example for younger players and it shows outright cowardice. You stand in the arena and do battle. When the contest is over, you congratulate the other person or team because IT IS JUST A GAME. Losing hurts. Losing sucks. But someone is going to lose when you play a game. When it's your time to be on the fuzzy side of the lollipop, suck it up and go over an congratulate the winner. Show som