Lessons: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Psalm 1 Philemon 1-21 Luke 14:25-33 On Friday morning, I flew to Spokane to officiate at the wedding of our friends Lisa and Peter. Lisa is a young university professor, Peter a young doctor. And they share a deep enthusiasm for life, for friends, for family. It is a joy toContinueContinue reading “Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
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Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Sirach 10:12-18 Psalm 112 Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 Luke 14:1, 7-14 Three meditations on setting your heart free. Meditation Number One. Jesus goes to a party. It is the Sabbath and Jesus is at a fancy dinner party. The party is held in the home of a Pharisee, a wealthy and privileged andContinueContinue reading “Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23 Psalm 49:1-11 Colossians 3:1-11 Luke 12:13-21 The Franciscan priest and teacher, Richard Rohr, often writes and speaks about what he calls The Shadow Self. The Shadow Self is a concept that originally shows up in the work of Carl Jung. Rohr and his colleagues have developed and evolved itContinueContinue reading “Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Deuteronomy 30:9-14 Psalm 25:1-9 Colossians 1:1-14 Luke 10:25-37 We have just witnessed a play in three acts. In each act, a new character takes his turn upon the stage. None of the characters has a name; each of them is known only by the category to which he belongs. In Act One,ContinueContinue reading “Eighth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Isaiah 66:10-14 Psalm 66:1-8 Galatians 6:1-16 Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 There is a scene early on in Clint Eastwood’s film, American Sniper, in which a family is gathered around the dinner table. Here are Mom and Dad. And here are two sons, one perhaps eleven, the other perhaps nine. The décor and the clothes and theContinueContinue reading “Seventh Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: 1 Kings 19:15-16,19-21 Psalm 16 Galatians 5:1,13-25 Luke 9:51-62 Former Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld, has been lampooned at some length for the 2002 press conference during which he spoke of “known knowns,” “known unknowns,” and “unknown unknowns.” But while Rumsfeld may have expressed himself in a somewhat goofy or awkward fashion,ContinueContinue reading “Sixth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10,13-15 Psalm 32 Galatians 2:15-21 Luke 7:36-8:3 Then turning toward the woman, Jesus said to Simon: Do you see this woman? The late British Science Fiction writer, Douglas Adams, is probably most famous for his whimsical series of novels, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. But I am equally fondContinueContinue reading “Fourth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Second Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: 1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43 Psalm 96:1-9 Galatians 1:1-12 Luke 7:1-10 We are here. We are here. We are here. We are here. [and then] I am astonished says Saint Paul, I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and areContinueContinue reading “Second Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Trinity Sunday by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 Romans 5:1-5 John 16:12-15 Psalm 8 If you are a veteran of Sunday school or, perhaps, a graduate of a class that sought to get you ready for baptism or confirmation, you may have had the experience of encountering that diagram that maps out the Trinity. Do you know theContinueContinue reading “Trinity Sunday by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Fifth Sunday of Easter by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Acts 11:1-18 Revelation 21:1-6 John 13:31-35 Psalm 148