RoboPreacher

& came to ruin A Sermon on the Sabbath : Perhaps you’re wondering why , exactly, our first lesson is the one we just heard. After all, it sounds… well… just a little… familiar, doesn’t it? Don’t be fooled, though, the lessons is not a repeat of last week’s… Well… Not exactly, anyway. Last week we heard the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai ; right after the Israelites had been freed. Today , though, we hear the reiteration of these Ten Commands; 40 years later. Right before the Israelites leave the wilderness for the Promised Land.  Here, Moses is giving his final sermon. All he can come up with though, is that old refrain again. “ Second verse , same as the first ; a little bit louder , a little bit worse !” Moses’ uncertainty about how well those commands took the first time, is betrayed. Apparently Moses isn’t exactly confident in the mettle of those who are about to inhabit the property promised to Abraham long ago… Appa...

& you've just gotta keep on keeping on A Sermon on the Sabbath Commandment : As is the case with most adages, the old saying is true; ‘there’s no rest for the wicked.’ There’s the law you’ve always got to stay a step ahead of. Then, there’s the constant looking over your shoulder to make sure your past doesn’t find you.  Nope, once the wicked go on the lamb, their guard can never come down. You’ve always got to be looking ahead and watching behind. It’s exhausting sure, but there’s no alternative.  You can’t just stop and catch your breath, lest the sins of your past catch up to you.  It’s true . There is no rest for the wicked… Which is probably why this Third Commandment is so notorious. Think about it, it’s one of only two commandments that aren’t prohibitions. Yet, this positive command seems impossible for the wicked like us to actually obey . To stop and rest. Not once in a while. Not when we think we have the time. But ever...

i love you, i love you, i love you A sermon on the seventh day : As we begin our sermon series on the sabbath we might as well just admit it: we’re not sure what to do with the sabbath… The account of the first week puts the issue front and center. The seventh day, the sabbath, is an odd day.  First, every other day of creation, has its counterpart . The first day, light is made; and the fourth, its inhabitants : the sun, moon and stars are made. The second day, the sky is formed above the depths; and on the fifth, their inhabitants: fish and birds are created. The third day, dry land is formed; and on the sixth, its inhabitants: mammals are made. The sabbath day, though, has no parallel! It stands apart from every other day. We’re not sure what to do with this day that doesn’t fit… That isn’t even the only quandary of this day, either. Scripture is clear; it is on this seventh day, not the sixth, that God finishes creation. It is also on this day, tho...

We are most deeply asleep at the switch when we fancy we control  any switches at all. We sleep to time’s hurdy-gurdy; we wake, if we ever wake, to the silence of God. —Annie Dillard In our society you’re rich if you have a lot of money , but no time . And you’re poor if you have a lot of time, but no money . Apparently those are the alternatives.  And honestly, while we may have some reservations about being rich, there’s no question that we’re terrified of becoming poor. So we trade in our time for money. The result is that we have more than enough money, and not nearly enough time… No wonder, then, that the commandment to honor the Sabbath doesn’t come naturally.  It isn’t easy for us to just stop . To do nothing . (There’s a paradox! Do Nothing .) We’ve got to be working . We’ve got to put our time to use .  One person I spoke to said the reason it’s so hard to rest, is because she constantly felt like she needed to justify ...

Jesus told them a parable about the need to pray always and not lose heart ~Luke 18:1 I suspect the biggest reason prayer doesn’t come easily to us, is because we’re not good at resting . Sure, summer is quickly approaching. Perhaps your thoughts are turning to a quieter schedule. Maybe you’re even looking ahead to a vacation. But have you ever returned from a long-awaited vacation, even more tired than when you left?  I know I have! We’re an all or nothing people. We work, work, work until we’re totally exhausted. Eventually we decide it’s high time we take a rest. So we cut out any and all work for a few days, perhaps we even go to the beach.  During those days set aside for nothing but rest, we jam in as much relaxation as we can. We end up exhausting ourselves, trying to make sure we get as much leisure as possible! It’d be comic if we weren’t all so worn out, so often… Yet Jesus says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, a...