Sermons (Page 123)

I hate sitting next to a stranger on an airplane. I don’t mind talking to people, but most of the time after exchanging pleasantries the other person will ask, “what do you do?” I hate that question, especially trapped at 36,000 feet. Often, I have to either listen to their confession about why they don’t go to church, or I have to explain that I’m not one of those pastors. Americans seem to jump right to that question – “what do you do?” Yet, what we “do” does not completely define us, it’s simply one piece of our identity…

Statistically speaking, 66% of you know the feeling – it’s a feeling like you’ve been in a place and done the same thing before, even though you know you couldn’t have. Researchers call it “déjà vu,” which is a French phrase meaning “already seen.”[1] Today’s Gospel reading is one of those déjà vu experiences for me. The most simplistic explanation is that we did read part of this story last month. At that time, the focus was on “John the baptizer;” now, the focus shifted slightly to illuminate Jesus’s baptism…

It’s Epiphany Sunday! But, what exactly does “Epiphany” mean? In a Christian context, it describes a divine manifestation, a revelation, or an insight.[1] If I had to give Matthew’s story a working title to articulate today’s revelation, I’d go with, “Globalization’s Influence on Politics.” Now, don’t check out on me or cue up a nasty email to me on your phone. Instead, let’s look at the text, and I’ll explain the title…