Mindful Leader

The reading is from Acts 2 (1-21).  That said, I focus more on the idea of 'what does this mean?'  The real "audience" (if one doesn't mind using that term here) is not everyone there, but the 12 youth being confirmed.  

The sermon is drawn from Mark 16: 1-8.  I like the short ending.  It is quite rich.  Jesus is not there?  Say what?  It works for me for some reason.  Big ideas were (1) Who will roll away the stone, (2) Who, me?  and (3) Who isn't a little afraid?  

Marilyn White helped me with some of the "order".  I had the ending illustration earlier in the service.  It clearly worked better here.  

Number 1 in a six part series on "What Would Jesus Say About ..." and we will insert a topic or five.  

This one is drawn from Acts 2: 42-46.  More of a reflection on the human condition, rather than a traditional exegetical sermon.  

Our reflection from Christmas Eve -- you might think of this as borderline "the Gospel according to the Simpsons" or words to that effect. A lot of fun. Merry Christmas!

Sermon is from 1 Cor 1: 3-9 but it really from all of the suggested readings for the day -- Isaiah 64, Psalm 80, and Mark 13 as well as the 1 Corinthians. The focus is on being active in our waiting. Do something please in the Isaiah and Psalm, and the Mark is God is going to do something and we need to be alert. Here is speaking to a church that is not behaving like the church: they are stuck in the "already" as opposed to being between the already and the not yet.

This is a sermon from Matthew 21: 23-32 -- this passage has two parts -- the Temple Authorities asking Jesus who the Hell is thinks he is and his answer is "Think about it." I pray we offer some thoughts to think about ...

Sermon is from Romans 9: 1-5 but is as much about Paul's context with the house churches in Rome as it is about Romans 9: 1-5.

From the comments after the service, this Sermon may be described in the future as "The Carrot, Egg, Coffee" Sermon. We'll see. The text is Romans 8: 12-25. Dense passage. When Marilyn and I were working on this, her comment was "there are about ten sermons in that." Yes. Grace Acosta, the Liturgist, also mentioned how dense it was. I normally shy away from Romans for that reason, but the lectionary, if a little "out of cycle" (this was the reading for the third Sunday in July, not the second Sunday in August), but for some reason (the Holy Spirit?), the urge to adjust the cycle a little to give us five Sundays on Romans emerged. Next week -- Romans 9: 1-5.

Last week was "Why Jesus" ... this week is "Why the Church" which I answer pretty early but then focus on how the church IS the body of Jesus in the world.  

I wish I could say that tension and friction and self absorption was unique to our time, but Paul in 1 Corinthians 12 is dealing with a "me" thinking group in Corinth.