RoboPreacher

when everything else broke A sermon on St. Paul's (better) communion sermon : If you had to describe yourself in one word, do you think you could do it? And if not, why not? * Alright . Let’s have a little participation . Stick out your thumb. Now hold it up. But hold your thumb horizontally . Like this . Ok. Now, on the count of five , I want you to put your thumb up if you could describe yourself in one word. And conversely , I want you to put your thumb down if you don’t think you can describe yourself in one word. Got it? Ok. Here we go. On the count of five . 1, 2, 3, 4, 5! Go! *Interesting. Keep them up. Now take a look around. See what your friends said.   There. Now you have something to talk about during coffee hour or on your way home. You’re welcome. …It’s curious , though, isn’t it? On the one hand, who we are is always just sort of there for all the world to see. But on the other hand, the particulars of our personality never seem to hold still when we try and p...

anybody want to swallow me A sermon on communion based on  1 Corinthians 11:17-34 : The congregation in Corinth was such a wreck that Paul couldn’t even bring himself to call what they were doing there each week the Lord’s supper. The temptation, of course, is to imagine that the members of First Lutheran in Corinth must have been engaged in some seriously illicit behavior to call down Paul’s ire like that. But , as it turns out, what they really did wrong , was trying to do everything right . …A strange thing happens we set foot in the church, we think that once we’ve gotten ourselves through the doors, it’s our task to keep ourselves there. Which is a surefire blueprint for disaster . As the great southern writer, Flannery O’Conner, once said to a friend, “…the operation of the church is entirely set up for the sinner ; which creates much misunderstanding among the smug .” This is a classic O’Conner kind of insight. But, it does get human na...

leaning on the everlasting arm A sermon on Communion, and Paul's instructions thereof: At some point in my life I learned the lesson that nothing is given to you. That, if you want something, you have to go out there and earn it. You have to work for everything .   And what’s that lesson has especially earned me; is totally unbearable streak! I mean, can you imagine having someone like that as older brother? *I bet some of you can , because you have one . Anyone want to testify??? Or, being married to a guy like that? Woof … Because being around someone like that, is exhausting . Not only because they’re always pushing ; but because the truth is, that lesson I bought into so long ago is wrong . It’s wrong .   Life doesn’t work like that. And there’s a movie that depicts this so well. Then western, “True Grit.” The Coen brother’s version, of course .   It’s about this teenage girl, Mattie. Her father died when a two-bit crook, Tom Chaney...