This is going to be something of a slippery sermon. It’s going to be slippery because I’m going to be skating a very fine line when I talk about the difference between human rules and God’s commandments. I’ll make sure to warn you when I get to the slippery part, but first let’s talk about why this is our sermon topic today.
Continue reading “Human Precepts and God’s Commands”
I don’t often preach about the psalm, but today’s reading begins with a particularly beautiful verse that captured my imagination this Tuesday, my normal sermon writing day. I was planning on writing at the Westerly Library while my kids were at theatre camp, but the back rear tire of my car had a screw embedded in it, causing a slow leak. Thankfully the guys at Town Fair Tire could take my walk in. I grabbed a seat in the waiting area, under harsh fluorescent lights, trying to ignore America’s Funniest Videos on the TV. I sat there, hoping the Holy Spirit would nudge me toward some words to share with you. (Don’t worry, the tire place will become important in a few minutes; I’m not just talking about it to pad the length of this sermon.)
Continue reading “A Lantern to My Feet”
Yesterday was the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. I spent a long time this week deciding whether or not I should frame my sermon around this auspicious day or ignore it, considering that our faith as followers of Jesus reaches far beyond the borders of a single country. The more I pondered, the more convicted I became that I should talk about the 250th anniversary of the United States of America in order to draw some parallels between our country and our faith. Both our country and our faith derive from high ideals. Both our country and our faith have been elevated by visionaries. Both have been sullied by villains. And today, on the first day of Year 251, both remain unfinished. That’s what we’re going to talk about for the next ten minutes: the unfinished nature of our country and our faith.
Continue reading “Unfinished Country, Unfinished Faith”
Where the Wind... 