RoboPreacher

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...

fellowship divine A reflection for All Saints I remember in seminary when all of us were up for our first calls.   What happens is, first you’re told which large swath of the United States you’re going to. Then, you’re told which synod you’re being assigned to.   And then, finally, the bishop will say there’s a call they think we might be a match for… And at that point, all us students thought things were finally going to get moving.   But what really happened is that they slowed down!   We couldn’t understand how the call committees would wait a week before meeting to review our paperwork. And then, they’d take another week to reflect on it!   And even if they scheduled an interview with you, they soonest they would call back would be in a week !   And often it was longer than that… What we didn’t realize then was, that’s about that fastest a church moves! Weekly … I’ve come to learn this snail’s pace isn’t ...

who thee by faith before the world confesses thy name, o jesus A reflection for All Saints from 1 Kings 18:17-39 : …Elijah is a little problematic for today ; All Saints. Isn’t he? Elijah's certainly not humble.   His words aren’t kind, taunting the prophets of Baal. But , I’ve come to learn that’s what it means to be one of God’s saints.   Saintliness is not perfection, it’s hope . It’s trust . It’s the awareness that unless God saves sinners , and sinners only , then we are without hope. …Let me tell you how I first learned this lesson; When I was putting together the first funeral liturgy I would preside at, I got the the Commendation of the Dead where the pastor is to say: "Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming.” A sinner of your own redeeming?!? The family didn’t want to hear the pastor call their loved one a sinner , and at their funeral no le...

i'll work hard 'til the end of my shift A sermon for All Saints, from 1 Kings 18:17-39 : Hard to see what this passage has to do with a day like this : No humble remembering, but bombastic battle of whose God is best And , prophet Elijah isn’t exactly acting all the saintly , taunting opponents; bathroom BUT , we can make exceptions for prophets Had trouble making any connection b/t this passage and this day …and then I drove to Virginia’s funeral & I realized I had been commission to say some just as bombastic things & I realized the congregation was going to join me in taunting the ol’ foe The truth is, we don’t have to go to Mt. Carmel to find ourselves caught between competing theologies . Do we? We don’t even have to go to a funeral to find ourselves in the middle of a battle between The Lord and all those other false gods out there. ● In a world full of prophets insisting we MUST prove ...

i hope we both die A sermon on Namaan & his healing There are no heroes here. There are no heroes in the church. If this were Hollywood, an action movie; Namaan would be the hero . He’s the natural born leader, with all the victories under his belt. He’s the one comfortable with a sword; and not too hard on the eyes, either… Namaan is the goal. He was then, and he still is today.   The hero . Strong and victorious .   Only, a pall had been cast over Namaan’s once bright future. And anyone could see the writing on the wall, too. In fact, it was written all over Namaan’s face.   You see, Namaan had leprosy . A disease with no known cure. A disease you couldn’t hide.   When the disease showed itself on Namaan’s skin; suddenly this man who had once inspired awe, became the subject of the people’s sympathy .   “Did you see Namaan today,” they would ask. “I think it’s spread even more…” Namaan was quickly becoming some...

we feebly struggle, they in glory shine A Sermon for All the Saints The Gospel for today’s Festival of All the Saints is  when Jesus raises Lazarus. It’s a relatively familiar story. The Gospel reading is only part of this story, though. The conclusion. In fact, the ending is probably the most familiar part of the story; so let me tell the whole story… In John 11 it’s noted that a certain man was ill, the brother of Mary and Martha. Now at this point the two sisters are well acquainted with Jesus, so they send for him; “Lord, the one who you love is ill,” they report. W hen Jesus gets the message, though; he just says the illness does not lead to death, but rather to God’s glory. So, although Jesus loved Martha, and her sister and Lazarus; after getting the news, Jesus stayed where he was for two more days… After those couple days, Jesus tells the disciples they need to return Judea. To which the disciples protest, of course . “Lord, they just tried to s...