Sermon podcast from the Fourth Sunday of Easter and Mother's Day, 5-8-22 worship service - St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, IL. Acts 9:36-43
Showing posts with label Acts 9:36-43. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Acts 9:36-43. Show all posts
5/14/2019
Life-Giving
Sermon podcast from May 12, 2019 (Mother's Day) at St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, IL. Acts 9:36-43. If the rules are used as a reason to exclude, then I'm an advocate of breaking those rules.
Video sermon preview
"Life-Giving" podcast
Video sermon preview
"Life-Giving" podcast
4/17/2016
Life-Giving
Sermon podcast from today at St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, IL. Don't like following the rules?
"Life-Giving" podcast
"Life-Giving" podcast
4/21/2013
Rules
This week's Bible reflection (Disciple) provides some of the background, but today's sermon at St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove just rolled from there. It's not about the doctrine.
"Rules" podcast
"Rules" podcast
4/15/2013
Disciple
This week’s Bible reading from Acts 9:36-43 tells about the resurrection of a woman named Tabitha – also called Dorcas.
Dorcas was a disciple. Dorcas was a woman.
It isn't a "maybe she was, but maybe she wasn't" scenario. The Bible calls Dorcas a disciple. The Greek word "mathetria" is the feminine equivalent of the masculine word "mathetes." Both mean disciple. Feminine and Masculine forms of the word don’t downgrade or raise the value of one over the other. Dorcas was a disciple - period. She is one of many significant and strong women in the Bible – Elizabeth, Mary, Mary Magdalene, Lydia, Priscilla, and Dorcas
So Dorcas, the disciple, cared for others. When she died, other disciples called for Peter, who prayed and called for her to get up. She did. People saw that she was alive and they believed.
For the twelve year old in all of us -- I know that there may be a few reader snickering about the name of this resurrected disciple. Dorcas. I know it sounds like a completely different word in English. The meanings of the word and the name are radically different, however. Tabitha, a Hebrew name, and Dorcas – its Greek equivalent, mean ‘gazelle.’ They don't mean clumsy or strange or ‘’nerdish.” Dorcas was respected and loved by those in Joppa. She was loved and respected by Jewish people and Gentile people. That’s why her name is listed in this week's reading in both Hebrew and Greek.
That Dorcas was a disciple seems to break the rules of some Christian denominations today. She was a leader of men and women. It was the kind of thing that broke the rules of the culture where Dorcas was a disciple.
And that's just be beginning. There’s a lot of rule breaking in this week’s Bible reading.
Dorcas was a disciple. Dorcas was a woman.
It isn't a "maybe she was, but maybe she wasn't" scenario. The Bible calls Dorcas a disciple. The Greek word "mathetria" is the feminine equivalent of the masculine word "mathetes." Both mean disciple. Feminine and Masculine forms of the word don’t downgrade or raise the value of one over the other. Dorcas was a disciple - period. She is one of many significant and strong women in the Bible – Elizabeth, Mary, Mary Magdalene, Lydia, Priscilla, and Dorcas
So Dorcas, the disciple, cared for others. When she died, other disciples called for Peter, who prayed and called for her to get up. She did. People saw that she was alive and they believed.
For the twelve year old in all of us -- I know that there may be a few reader snickering about the name of this resurrected disciple. Dorcas. I know it sounds like a completely different word in English. The meanings of the word and the name are radically different, however. Tabitha, a Hebrew name, and Dorcas – its Greek equivalent, mean ‘gazelle.’ They don't mean clumsy or strange or ‘’nerdish.” Dorcas was respected and loved by those in Joppa. She was loved and respected by Jewish people and Gentile people. That’s why her name is listed in this week's reading in both Hebrew and Greek.
That Dorcas was a disciple seems to break the rules of some Christian denominations today. She was a leader of men and women. It was the kind of thing that broke the rules of the culture where Dorcas was a disciple.
And that's just be beginning. There’s a lot of rule breaking in this week’s Bible reading.
4/23/2010
Breaking rules
This week's Bible study blog post for i.ucc (Bigger than a resurrection?) got really topical today -- and it is now Sunday's sermon at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Somonauk, IL.
"Breaking rules" text
"Breaking rules" podcast
"Breaking rules" text
"Breaking rules" podcast
4/19/2010
Bigger than a resurrection?
Here's this week's Bible study blog post for i.ucc.org:
This week’s Bible reading from Acts 9:36-43 tells about the resurrection of a woman named Tabitha – also called Dorcas. Could anything be more important than that?
Dorcas, a disciple, cared for others. When she died, other disciples called for Peter, who prayed and called for her to get up. She did. People saw that she was alive and they believed.
What could be bigger than that? How about all the rulebreaking? Woven into this resurrection account is the reality of broken rules to include of people thought to be on the outside or unworthy of being God’s people.
Dorcas was a disciple. The term used is a feminine form of the Greek word for disciple. It doesn’t downgrade the word – Dorcas was a disciple – no less.
After Dorcas came back to life, Peter went to live in the home of Simon, a tanner. Tanners worked with dead flesh. They were considered unclean and living outside of the law standards. Peter living in his home shows that those who the authorities called “unclean” were worthy of God’s unconditional love.
Women . . . Tanners . . . everyone is included. What wonderful rulebreaking! Is that bigger than Dorcas’ resurrection?
This week’s Bible reading from Acts 9:36-43 tells about the resurrection of a woman named Tabitha – also called Dorcas. Could anything be more important than that?
Dorcas, a disciple, cared for others. When she died, other disciples called for Peter, who prayed and called for her to get up. She did. People saw that she was alive and they believed.
What could be bigger than that? How about all the rulebreaking? Woven into this resurrection account is the reality of broken rules to include of people thought to be on the outside or unworthy of being God’s people.
Dorcas was a disciple. The term used is a feminine form of the Greek word for disciple. It doesn’t downgrade the word – Dorcas was a disciple – no less.
After Dorcas came back to life, Peter went to live in the home of Simon, a tanner. Tanners worked with dead flesh. They were considered unclean and living outside of the law standards. Peter living in his home shows that those who the authorities called “unclean” were worthy of God’s unconditional love.
Women . . . Tanners . . . everyone is included. What wonderful rulebreaking! Is that bigger than Dorcas’ resurrection?
4/27/2007
Is there still a little more to do?
The "Opening the Bible" blog post I wrote earlier this week for i.ucc (Inclusion) has undergone some significant changes and now it's Sunday's sermon!
"Is There Still a Little More to Do?" text
"Is There Still a Little More to Do?" podcast
"Is There Still a Little More to Do?" text
"Is There Still a Little More to Do?" podcast
4/23/2007
Inclusion
Here's this week's "Opening the Bible" post for i.ucc
++++++++++++++++++++++
This week’s Bible reading from Acts 9:36-43 tells about the resurrection of a woman named Tabitha – also called Dorcas. That’s a pretty big deal, but I see something beginning that may be bigger than her resurrection.
Dorcas was a woman who lived her life caring and giving to others. When she died, the disciples called for Peter, who prayed and called for her to get up. She did. People saw that she was alive and they believed.
So why do I say there is something beginning here that may be bigger than her resurrection? Because woven into this resurrection account is the reality of God’s radical and unexpected inclusion of people thought to be on the outside or unworthy of being God’s people.
Dorcas, a woman, is called a disciple. The term used is a feminine form of the Greek word for disciple. It doesn’t downgrade the word – Dorcas was a disciple – no less.
Then at the end of the account, Peter goes to live in the home of Simon, a tanner.Tanners worked with dead flesh. They were considered unclean and living outside of the law standards. Peter living in his home shows that those who the authorities called “unclean” were worthy of God’s unconditional love.
Women . . . Tanners . . . everyone is included. Is that bigger than Dorcas’ resurrection?
++++++++++++++++++++++
This week’s Bible reading from Acts 9:36-43 tells about the resurrection of a woman named Tabitha – also called Dorcas. That’s a pretty big deal, but I see something beginning that may be bigger than her resurrection.
Dorcas was a woman who lived her life caring and giving to others. When she died, the disciples called for Peter, who prayed and called for her to get up. She did. People saw that she was alive and they believed.
So why do I say there is something beginning here that may be bigger than her resurrection? Because woven into this resurrection account is the reality of God’s radical and unexpected inclusion of people thought to be on the outside or unworthy of being God’s people.
Dorcas, a woman, is called a disciple. The term used is a feminine form of the Greek word for disciple. It doesn’t downgrade the word – Dorcas was a disciple – no less.
Then at the end of the account, Peter goes to live in the home of Simon, a tanner.Tanners worked with dead flesh. They were considered unclean and living outside of the law standards. Peter living in his home shows that those who the authorities called “unclean” were worthy of God’s unconditional love.
Women . . . Tanners . . . everyone is included. Is that bigger than Dorcas’ resurrection?
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