RoboPreacher

Sermon from John , 1 Corinthians , & MLK Day.   We are back in the "Green Season," but this time of the church year is devoted to all the different and various ways that God reveals God's love, God's will, God's justice.   Today we read from the Gospel of John about how Jesus first changed water to wine. This story is as famous as it is lovely. We've all heard it a time or two, in fact I have been blessed to hear this one at a really neat wedding here. And while this story has a lot to teach us, I also want to focus on St. Paul's writing in 1 Corinthians. We will get two other weeks of these readings, and I think it would be fun to do a sermon series. Seeing as how Monday will be Martin Luther King Day, though, the Gospel has some interesting things going on. The dynamic that I imagine our Brother Martin could have identified with was Jesus telling his mother "now is not the time." Not that brother Martin emulate

  & toe to toe   The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke the 3rdChapter (15-17, 21-22)! Les Mis is in theaters. It's gotten Oscar nods. I've heard it is good from everyone who has seen it, so I am sure it is a lovely film. I haven't seen this film, but I will. I have read the book though, and seen the touring cast preform the music. The music is wonderful and the story is just splendid. Bono of U2 said the most interesting songs are ones about people running to, or away from, God. And I think this is true. That is what is so captivating about Les Mis - the cast is huge but one of the most compelling story lines is that of Jean Valjean. Locked away for stealing bread to feed his children, upon release Jean tries to steal the candelabra from a priest. And as the adage goes, Jean cannot catch any luck. Nearly immediately he is apprehended by the police, and just when he thinks he is going back to the "clink," the priest comes to save the day.

  built of living light   The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, thesecond chapter!   In today's Gospel we hear the story of the magi following the star, following their dreams, all to worship God. In light of that story, I have a few stories to tell.   The first one took place on a chilly evening in April. The days were getting longer, but they were still short. The apartment I was living in was one medium-sized room with a kitchenette and bathroom installed on opposite ends in the middle of the room, creating a tiny bedroom space and a tiny living-space. The apartment I was renting was in the basement level, or as young adults in D.C. liked to call them, "English basements." Regardless, living in the basement level made the chilly evenings even more chilly. That night, however, I was going to do something I had never done before... (PAUSE) I was going to pray for a congregation I was going to serve. Yes, I had prayed for the churches in, Ne