"podcast" Tagged Sermons (Page 127)
Third Sunday of Advent
How are you all doing this morning? I ask because I know that this can be a difficult time of year for many people. This can be a time of business and stress: Presents have to be bought, the days are getting ever darker, and there are those sometimes awkward work holiday parties to attend. And I know that for some people, the holidays are a painful reminder of absent loved ones. At seminary, the stress has been off the charts recently thanks to finals and the end of the semester. Or maybe you’re just not a fan of snow and woke up to a nice layer of it this morning. Some have said that the year of 2016 has been an especially difficult time to deal with. This year has been characterized with the deaths of beloved celebrities, numerous mass shootings or incidents of violence, and an especially nasty campaign and election. For whatever reason, I know that this time of year it can be hard to be in the Christmas spirit that’s been pervasive in media and in retail stores for weeks now. It can be hard to find the joy that we’ve been told we should feel…
Second Sunday of Advent
We live in a world of endless voices. We hear the voices of our supervisor or board members direct us. We hear politicians say very different things. The media, researchers, doctors, therapists, and advertisers convince us to listen to them. Whom do we listen to? Is that a fake news story or is it accurate? Is that person spinning something for their own gain? Some of the voices grate. Others are shrill. Yet, today, one voice rings out in the wilderness…
First Sunday of Advent
“Keep awake” is what Jesus said. (Matthew 24:42) “Keep awake.” Clearly he has no idea what we’ve been through. I’m exhausted. In the past month we’ve cheered at the World Series; we’ve followed a divisive election cycle; we gathered at Thanksgiving tables with those different from us; and now we’re on to the rest of the holiday season. With all the coffee we’re drinking, we’re awake already! Yet, today Jesus reminds us to “keep awake.”…