RoboPreacher

on borrowed time A sermon on the conclusion to Philippians : Seeing as my second month of sabbatical is about to begin, let’s play a little game !   One of the express intents of sabbatical is to provide rest . And while I could provide of list of the things that tire me out, I think we would all agree that what’s really tiresome about a vocation are its worries . So, let me ask you, what do you think I worry about? What do you think keeps me awake at night? Or, since you all know me, when have you actually seen me worrisome? Go ahead! Really think about it. The rest of the sermon will work better if you engage. What do you think I worry about? I came up with this idea for this game while working on the first draft of the sermon. Initially, I made a list of things I worry about. However , the prospect of reading that aloud seemed so dull and so trying that I couldn’t countenance the thought of subjecting you all to that. Nevertheless, now that I’ve asked, it only seems...

buddy, i'm your oyster  a sermon on paul's more excellent sermon that rhymes :  This is the beating center of Saint Paul’s epistle to First Lutheran in Philippi. All that's preceded this has been building to it. And everything that follows is the consequence thereof. But here, at the heart , Paul burst out into this absolutely lovely lyrical praise.   Praise that is indeed songlike. Recite these words to yourself. You’ll find they have a rhythm to them. A cadence that helps these words stick .   But that isn’t all! This praise is also quite sophisticated , too! In these metered phrases, Paul charts out what transpired by Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension! With these words, Paul peels back the curtain to offer a glimpse of how the structure of reality itself changed when God Thyself stepped into it in the person of Jesus of Nazareth! Now, in case you can’t tell, this is my very favorite kind of theology. I love it when Chris...