RoboPreacher

to reach the hill in time A sermon on Jeremiah's prophecy to the exiles : Plans play a big part of our lives—especially this time of the year. And it’s no great secret why. A well-made and executed plan can go a long way— especially this time of the year. But , as we all know, even the best -laid plans aren’t foolproof. Not that that stops us from losing sleep when some scheme of our’s doesn’t pan out. That is, at heart, what exile is. Exile isn’t so foreign a concept. Exile is the painful experience of living with some circumstance you can’t change. No matter how much you might want to or how hard you have tried to. And the truth is, life is full of these kinds of experiences—especially this time of the year. …Today’s passage is a prophecy to folks in literal exile. To be an exile was to be forcibly deported. Part of Babylon’s campaign of control , you see, was to send away the prominent citizenry of the countries they conquered. The idea was that the people left behi...

will never again, sir, tear us from each other's hearts A sermon from Isaiah 9 Today is Christ the King Sunday, the last gathering of the church year. After today, we begin another trip through the wild ride of counting our days as the church would have us. But that’s not all today is, is it? Today is also the last Sunday before Thanksgiving . And then Black Friday . And then that mad dash to Christmas. Until, finally, we come to that heap of exhaustion on New Year’s Day.   Today, then, is something of a tipping point. We stand at the precipice of those last moments before the holiday season falls entirely into the clutches of the advertising world. In just a few days, each day will be little more than one more occasion to buy more stuff and accumulate more goods. All in the quixotic bid to ‘have yourself a merry little Christmas.’ So how about it, then? On these last moments before the season of overpriced gadgets, jammed airwaves, packed parking lots, and even more crow...

the clouded out disguises and the grave  A sermon on Elijah & God's ensuing silence Of all the sounds that most unnerve us, and there are plenty, perhaps the most unsettling sound of all is the absence of it. Silence makes us uncomfortable . I doubt I’m the only one who turns on the TV or radio when I’m alone . Even if I’m not really listening. It’s just nice to have a little noise in the background.   Yes, silence makes us uneasy . As it turns out, though, there is an even more disconcerting sound . Just ask Elijah … Elijah burst on the scene as a guardian of the faith. At Mount Carmel, he faced down all the prophets of Baal. Unfortunately for him, though, he became a victim of his own success . While Elijah may have been God’s man, it was the prophets of Baal who had the sanctioning of the rich and powerful.   When word of Elijah’s exploits got to the king and queen , they made sure he knew, in no uncertain terms, that his days were numbered . Sudde...