Mindful Leader

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 ...

The sermon is from Matthew 21: 33-46 and is a parable about problematic tenants. The sermon hinges on verse 43 which is a directive, similar to that found in Isaiah 5: 1-7 to be fruitful. Critical is what is fruitful? We are often inclined to take traditional measures but the Isaiah 5: 7 focuses on "justice" and "righteousness." Yes, some of our standard metrics (numbers) are important, but at the end of the day, Jesus/God is/are looking for heart changes.

This sermon is from Matthew 20: 1-16 -- sometimes called "The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard." In reality, it is "The Parable of the Extravagantly Generous Landowner." Part of the subtext in this is the baptism of Ginny Trawick, a doubly special child: Down and (on the way) Cancer Survivor. Ginny and her family have shown special resilience and strength. Yes to God's Possible might have been the title, if I used titles.

The Scripture is from Matthew 13: 1-9 and Jesus unpacking of his own parables for the disciples.  Sermon was pretty truncated due to other things.  I do think this is an important reflection for the Church Council.  

Last Sermon from Romans -- here Chapter 12, Verses 1 and 2 -- for a while. This was intended to focus on encouraging people to take part in the Disciple Growth within the Church.

I have never done this much from Romans.  Six weeks I think.  Complex text but I got a lot out of the preparation.  I pray that the congregation was enriched with this excursion.  

We will look at Parables from Matthew after Youth Sunday (September 7, 2014).  

My next to last look at Romans for a while. This is drawn from Romans 10: 5-15. That is here. I use the N. T. Wright observations from New Interpreter's Bible on Romans about larger enterprise and focus on the end of the passage on the ideas of called but who will reach the unreached? I hear echoes of Exodus 2/3 in this and clearly felt called myself to go there.

Will this be the "almost" get to it sermon?  Time will tell I guess.  

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.

This sermon "evolved" while I was away on vacation.  It started out with one set of thoughts, and this is what God provided.  

I am going to get back to some lectionary preaching in a few weeks, but this passage from Exodus 15: 21-27 is rich, rich, rich.  Even though my plan was more topical, the text pulled me into expanding on the idea of "why Hilltop?"  

These three weeks were (1)  Why Jesus? (2) Why 'the' Church? and finally (3) Why Hilltop?  

I think the real issue for us is the 12 Springs and 70 Date Trees at Elim.  And, not mentioned in the Sermon but true, is that they didn't stay there.  They kept going.