RoboPreacher

i will be good though my body be broken The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew the 5th chapter! Today’s Gospel is probably as popular as it is unbelievable … And that’s the problem isn’t it? We imagine we’re so familiar with these sayings that we skip right along. “Oh, I love this part,” we say, while putting on a smile and tuning out. Before we do that, though, let me ask us to do something:  Try and imagine we hadn’t heard these words before . Better yet, though, imagine that as we’re hearing these words for the first time, we’re one of those who Jesus called to follow him, or maybe someone from the crowd with a disease eavesdropping on this message Jesus gives… Let’s try hearing today’s Gospel this way, because when we do that, these familiar sayings become appropriately shocking. To help us really hear today’s gospel I am going to read it again, although I am going to read it from another translation; for those of you who go to the Bible S...

The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew! Mary always made an impression on folks.  Now, to say Mary was special would be to state the obvious, though.  Of course Mary was special, but that wasn’t it.  No, Mary had this way about her. She always seemed to, in her own gentle and quiet way, make a big impact, a lasting impression… Why is that? Why was she able, as diminutive as she was, to make such a large impact.  Why was she, as quiet as she was, to say so much with few words? Certainly there are a few reasons;  the one that stands out the most, though, was Mary’s ability to draw folks together, how Mary always saw the best in everyone  and invited everyone to see the best in others, as well as in themselves. See, Mary seemed to embody what we hope to be. To say it another way, Mary managed to embody the Gospel in a profound and meaningful way. Mary lived out a witness that another way was possible, a way we a...

maybe i'll believe it from somebody else The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew the 4th Chapter! Today is our Annual Meeting, an occasion for us all to gather and thank God for the ministry we’ve been called into together during 2013. Today is a time to reflect together , and to prepare to continue that ministry together .  It is also worth noting that as God calls us to continue Trinity’s ministry into 2014; Trinity’s mission will go into its 130th year! That is no small thing, I know it hasn't always been easy; so before we begin I’d like to say how thankful I am for each of you, how proud I am of you all. So, thank you. Okay with that said, let us move on to the sermon. Today’s sermon will be a theological reflection on the Annual Report; so this sermon along with my written report is most of what I have to say on the Annual Report. As this sermon is a meditation of our report I am giving today’s sermon, not from our wonderful pu...

if we scream & shout    The Holy Gospel according to St. John the 1stChapter! The number one reason folks come to church for the first time, surprise-surprise, is that they were invited. But I'd be willing to bet that isn't the reason why those who stick around do , why they stay, why they abide...   Now, I have to tell y'all, I'm pleasantly surprised at how the exercise of daily reminding ourselves we're children of God is going. It isn't at all like the Holy Spirit exercise we tried ;-) I've heard the sentence brought up in conversations, I've heard reflection about the best place to post this reminder, I've heard how well the exercise is going and I've even heard that this exercise isn't uncomfortable, but comforting for a few of you. That's great! In fact it makes me think that we should carry this exercise through the year... With how well reminding ourselves that we're chi...