Sermon podcast from the Second Sunday of Advent, 12-5-21 worship service - St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, IL. Luke 3:1-6
Showing posts with label Luke 3:1-6. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Luke 3:1-6. Show all posts
12/10/2018
Ready
Sermon podcast from yesterday's Second Sunday of Advent service at St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, IL. Luke 3:1-6.
It is too easy to define everything as good or bad, left or right, Christian or unchristian . . .
It’s too easy to bend the Bible so that it fits our agenda.
Video Sermon preview
"Ready" podcast
It is too easy to define everything as good or bad, left or right, Christian or unchristian . . .
It’s too easy to bend the Bible so that it fits our agenda.
Video Sermon preview
"Ready" podcast
12/09/2015
Ready
Sermon podcast from this past Sunday at St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, IL. Deliverance. Safety. Life-changing good news rather than vitriol, xenophobia, and violence.
"Ready" podcast
"Ready" podcast
12/07/2012
Smooth
This week's Bible reflection (What's with all the name dropping?) provides the beginning for the sermon for the second Sunday of Advent sermon at St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Downers Grove, IL.
"Smooth" text
"Smooth" podcast
"Smooth" text
"Smooth" podcast
12/04/2012
What's with all the name dropping?
In this week's Bible reading from Luke 3:1-6
Are the names there just to show when this whole deal happened? Or maybe they're there to show that John isn't part of the establishment. He's the voice calling out in the wilderness. He's a voice of peace and justice away from the voices of corruption and greed.
- Tiberius is emperor
- Pilate is governor
- Herod is the local ruler
- Philip is local ruler nearby
- Lysanias is another nearby local ruler
- Annas and Caiaphas are the high priests
Are the names there just to show when this whole deal happened? Or maybe they're there to show that John isn't part of the establishment. He's the voice calling out in the wilderness. He's a voice of peace and justice away from the voices of corruption and greed.
12/05/2009
Prepare
This week's Bible study blog post for i.ucc (Outsider) got an early edit (just some correcting of a little tiny major factual error I made) and then it had lots more added to it. Now The sermon for the second Sunday of Advent at Union Congregational UCC in Somonauk.
"Prepare" text
"Prepare" podcast
"Prepare" text
"Prepare" podcast
11/30/2009
Outsider
Here's this week's Bible study post for i.ucc:
John didn’t come from the house of the Emperor, the governor, or any governmental leader. He was Zechariah and Elizabeth’s child. He had a priestly lineage on both parent's sides (from Abijah and Aaron) but they weren't power players in the priestly areas and John wasn't part of any power system. He was in the wilderness. He didn’t know “how things worked,” according to the powers that were all around him.
And he came, outsider from the wilderness, preaching a different way. It wasn’t a way of power or of fame or of ‘just keeping your nose clean and fitting in.’ The way John preached was about getting ready for the one who would put everything back in order. John preached about turning away from sin. John preached about all of humanity seeing God’s salvation.
Do we still hear John’s words as a call to arms? Do we still hear them as a call to war against the powers that surround us? Or can we focus on turning away from sin and turning towards God?
The outsider isn’t calling for a violent reordering of things. He’s calling for all to see what is coming. God’s deliverance. God’s safety. God’s life-changing good news.
What do you hear from the outsider?
John didn’t come from the house of the Emperor, the governor, or any governmental leader. He was Zechariah and Elizabeth’s child. He had a priestly lineage on both parent's sides (from Abijah and Aaron) but they weren't power players in the priestly areas and John wasn't part of any power system. He was in the wilderness. He didn’t know “how things worked,” according to the powers that were all around him.
And he came, outsider from the wilderness, preaching a different way. It wasn’t a way of power or of fame or of ‘just keeping your nose clean and fitting in.’ The way John preached was about getting ready for the one who would put everything back in order. John preached about turning away from sin. John preached about all of humanity seeing God’s salvation.
Do we still hear John’s words as a call to arms? Do we still hear them as a call to war against the powers that surround us? Or can we focus on turning away from sin and turning towards God?
The outsider isn’t calling for a violent reordering of things. He’s calling for all to see what is coming. God’s deliverance. God’s safety. God’s life-changing good news.
What do you hear from the outsider?
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