Lessons: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Psalm 1 Philemon 1-21 Luke 14:25-33 Living this life is like building a tower. I’d like to start with a quick survey: how many of you here have done a renovation project? (I’m defining the term renovation fairly broadly here – so as big as adding or altering a bathroom and asContinue reading “Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
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Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Proverbs 9:1-6 Psalm 34:9-14 Ephesians 5:15-20 John 6:51-58 The novelist Salman Rushdie has a line about storytelling, about crafting words, that goes like this. Rushdie says: Good metaphors shock. Good metaphors don’t merely surprise us or delight us or invite us into curiosity – although they certainly do most or all of those things.Continue reading “Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Jeremiah 15:15-21 Psalm 26:1-8 Romans 12:9-21 Matthew 16:21-28 Some variation on the story that we just heard appears in all three Synoptic Gospels, in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Luke shortens the story considerably, omitting the startling anger of Jesus’ reaction to Peter: in Luke, Jesus’ words, “Get behind me, Satan!” are gone from thisContinue reading “Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Mary Anne Gard
Lessons: Jeremiah 23:23-29 Psalm 82 Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Luke 12:49-56 Wow, is Jesus upset or what? “I come to bring fire.” “Households will be divided.” “Like the changing weather, I have been showing you signs of change, of upheaval and you just will not pay attention!” He is so frustrated with us that He is almost sputtering, almostContinue reading “Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Mary Anne Gard”