Matthew 14:22-33-“The Weight of Fear”

Synopsis:

After feeding the multitude, Jesus sends the disciples off to set sail while he finally gets away to pray. During the night, a great storm rises and the disciples are battered to and fro. Early in the morning, Jesus defies gravity and transverses the waters to meet the disciples exactly where they are. They think he is a ghost, but Peter asks to be invited onto the water. He begins to walk on the water. Not until he looks around he sees the storms and rising tide and begins to sink with fear. Jesus catches him, but still asks him, why didn’t he trust God with what was first firm beneath his feet. FDR said to our nation in a time when we were facing a Great Depression and an impending World War, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” and in this Gospel story we see how Peter’s fears cause to sink, rather than being still and trusting God is the God of the wind and the waves.

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Synopsis:

Rev. Timothy Peoples of Emerywood Baptist Church in High Point, NC, preaching on Song of Songs 2:8-13.

Matthew 10:24-39-"Third Sunday after Pentecost"

Synopsis:

On the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Jesus calls his disciples to fearless discipleship in a dangerous world. What does fearless love look like in our world today? It doesn’t take long to see such grace. In Louisville, we saw images of protestors protecting a police officer who was separated from his partners in downtown underneath the Bearno’s Pizza sign. Love compels us to listen, to learn, and to do as the great, Black theologian Howard Thurman says we must follow Jesus and, “Jesus stands with those whose backs are against the wall.”

Romans 5:1-8- " A World without Pain"

Synopsis:

Joanne Cameron, “A World without Pain,” Cameron tells the story of living a life with Marsili syndrome: a genetic mutation which dulls pain and some sensory experiences. About a third of the population has some form of this mutation. Paul tells us that it is in fact our experiences of suffering produce, endurance, character, then hope. God love is proved, though, in that while we were at our weakness, Christ died for us. Christ took on the shame of a criminals death, because the powers of hate, violence, and Empire in our world could no longer tolerate the Gospel he preached and the power he shared with common folks and outcasts. Those who suffer, if they find healing, will be lead to deeper empathy and compassion for others. God does not cause suffering, but seeks help humans salvage good in our response to pain.

Acts 1:6-11- "Ascension Sunday"

Synopsis:

On Ascension Sunday, Jesus tells his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit arrives. Waiting is a place where we find ourselves so often, but especially during this time of quarantine. When we find ourselves in seasons of waiting, what dreams will God stir in your heart? What unimagined futures is God germinating in your for whatever comes when the fog clears and the road opens up?

Acts 2:14a, 22-32; Psalm 16- “If You Can’t Preach Like Peter”

Synopsis:

Peter preaches his first Sunday on Pentecost, bearing witness to what he and the other women and men who followed Jesus saw with their very eyes. There is an edge to his message, because he is in fact preaching to many of the same folks who would have cried in the crowd, “Crucify!” Yet, God’s redemptive work is inclusive of all people, and the invitation to believe the Good News and repent from violent, vengeful ways is offered to all. In the song, There is a Balm in Gilead, we hear the lyrics, “If you can’t preach like Peter, if you can’t pray like Paul, you can tell the love of Jesus and say, "He died for all.”

John 11:1-6- "Clearing the Way for Christ: Seeing Life with Fresh Eyes"

Synopsis:

Jesus’ dear friend Lazarus dies, and he delays his arrive in Bethany. To return to Judea means the threat of execution for Jesus, so the disciples (all except Thomas, who gets the unfair reputation as Doubting Thomas) urge Jesus to not go, while Thomas is ready to die with his Rabbi. Mary and Martha are deep in grief and blame Jesus for Lazarus’ death because he did not come sooner. Jesus shows them that he is “the resurrection and the life,” and calls Lazarus forth from the cold tomb smelling of rotting flesh. Death is an inevitability we must all face, but the the Gospel bears witness to our hope that God of Love and Life leaves no child behind and collects us all into the loving arms of our Savior. Believing in the life beyond this life changes our posture and orientation as we recognize that success does not have to mean the accumulation of belongings or the assurance of longevity, but in the continual sacrifice and decluttering of all that charms us most–titles and treasure are all trash and trinkets before the Immortal, Invisible God only Wise. In a consumerist culture, we are taught our possessions are what give us purpose and value, but in an instant death can arrive at our doorstep. What matters truly to us? Who will call us forth from the depths of our own white-washed tombs filled with the stuff we hoard? Jesus invites us to see our life with fresh eyes in the light of resurrection.

John 4:5-14-" Clearing the Way for Christ: Seeing Our Circumstances with Fresh Eyes (COVID #2)"

Synopsis

So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’. (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’ Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’

John 9:1-41-"Clearing the Way for Christ: Seeing First with Fresh Eyes (COVID #1)"

Synopsis:

Jesus heals a man born blind. His disciples assume he is born blind because of his parent’s sin, but Jesus tells them this is not so, spits in the mud, rubs it on his eyes, and sends him to wash in a pond. Immediately, everyone in town who knows this man start asking questions, and the religious authorities get involved. Because Jesus heals on the sabbath (using religious rules as a technicality rather than celebrating this man has been healed), the Pharisees are outraged and interrogate the man who is now seeing for the first time in his life with fresh, healed eyes. They want him to agree that Jesus is a sinner for healing him on the sabbath and that Jesus is a charlatan. With great humility and simplicity the man responds, “Look, all I know is I was blind, and now I see.” No matter our level of sight impairment, the trans-formative power of the Gospel illuminates our mind’s eye to imagine new possibilities beyond the situations into which we are born. We are invited to re-imagine our lives (through dreaming), our relationships (through reconciliation), our homes (through clearing), and our communities (through peacemaking and justice) with fresh eyes as if we were seeing the world for the first time.

Genesis 2:15-17-"Clearing the Way for Christ: Seeing Ourselves with Fresh Eyes"

Synopsis:

The writers of Genesis offer us two accounts of the creation. The first concludes with a very good creation and God taking a sabbath rest to which all creation is invited. The second concludes with the creation of relationship where the human is torn apart in two making the first community, the first relationship. If we choose to read Genesis literally we already run into problems because there are two creation accounts that are opposites, so it is better to see Genesis as the ancients divinely inspired way of describe the state of world and the human condition. Immediately, the humans choose the one thing they are told not to do because they are told they will become “like gods themselves,” so they eat of the fruit. Immediately, they see more than they ever wanted to see and they feel shame. Their bodies are not a source of life, joy, and love as God intended, but a sign of their lack, embarrassment, and shame. Seeing ourselves as we truly are with fresh eyes, naked before the God who loves us and accepts us is the first step towards healing and reconciliation as we clear the way for Christ to come and speak words over our lives: “You are loved, you are forgiven, and you are welcome.”

Luke 1:46-55 - "Joy Sunday"

Synopsis:
On Joy Sunday at Broadway, the Gospel is preached in scripture and song as the Chancel Choir shares a musical masterpiece in worship. Born in Venice, Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) served as an ordained priest and Baroque Era violinist, composer, and musical educator for over thirty years at the orphanage for girls in Venice called the Ospedale Della Pieta (Hospital of Mercy). His Gloria was written in 1715 for the orphaned children of the Ospedale and performed in the Venetian opera house. Venice was the Las Vegas of 18th Century Italy and opera houses were raucous venues. With a protective consideration for the young girls in the choir, Vivaldi constructed screens to shield the choir from the intoxicated patrons of the opera. One might imagine the wild crowd turned into a weeping congregation at the angelic sounds of Vivaldi’s choir coming from mysterious silhouettes. The memory of Vivaldi’s choir of orphaned children harmonizes with Luke’s image of Mary–an afraid adolescent with child–who still sings her heart out in the liberating lyrics of the Magnificat. Her song prophesies of a world where God’s goodness, justice, and promise are fulfilled and every human flourishes with God-given worth. Mary makes a truly joyful noise worthy of any audience.

Keywords: Advent, Joy Sunday, Mary, Magnificat, justice, peace, joy, love, hope

Isaiah 11:1-10 - "Humble Roots, Holy Shoots"

Synopsis: Isaiah is traditionally interpreted by the Christian community to be one of the primary prophets who prophetically paved the way for the Messiah. While Isaiah’s words were relevant to the precarious situation of the Hebrew people in his days, his sermons continue to unlock and inspire truth in each new generation, especially for those reflecting on the Advent of Jesus. Isaiah points to a world where an ancestor of King David (11:1,10 - Jesse’s son) shall bring justice and peace to the world, even among the most corrupt systems (11:4) and vicious creatures (11:6). Isaiah imagines a world where the violence of Genesis 3-11 does not plague the world anymore, but this leaders will not emerge from the nursery of a palace. The Messiah, the anointed King, will come from humble beginnings (like King David), but these roots will blossom into shoots and fruits of justice, peace, and wisdom until even lions dine with oxen, not on them (11:7).

Keywords: Advent, Peace Sunday, Isaiah, prophets, peaceable Kingdom, justice, Messiah, shalom, prophesy, hope

Isaiah 65:17-21;24-25- "The Hope of Tomorrow"

Synopsis: After years in captivity, the Israelite people have returned home to the Promised Land.  But with this new beginning, things didn’t always go the way they had hoped or expected.  The people need to be reminded of God’s presence in their lives and that God will keep the promises that have been made. Where will they place their hope?  Where do you place your hope?

Keywords: Hope, new beginning, Promised Land

Luke 20:27-38- "The Hope of Heaven"

Synopsis: The Sadducees (who don’t believe in an afterlife) try to trip Jesus up with a scenario about marriage and remarriage. Jesus doesn’t bite the bait, and affirms the life hereafter, not on the grounds of some technicality about marriage and remarriage, but on their Sadducees own trust in Moses who spoke to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who all live and dwell in the fullness of the Living God. On the heels of All Saints when we remember those who have died in Christ, Jesus points to the heavenly hope that this life is not the end of their story or our story.

Keywords: Jesus, resurrection, heaven, afterlife, hope, saints, life after death, marriage, remarriage, Church Triumphant, All Saints

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4- All Saints: Semper Reformanda

Synopsis: This beloved text from Habakkuk helped spark the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther, exhausted and exasperated from the ritual demands of Medieval Christianity, heard these words scream in his soul, “The just shall live by faith.” With each passing generation, we make our contribution to each chapter of God’s Story, and on All Saint’s we remember and honor the lives of those who have gone before us as we draw courage from their witness. The stories of our past inspire us into our future as we stand on the shoulders of giants who continued the great work of the Church which Karl Barth described as semper reformanda––always reforming. There is no Church of the old or the young. There is no Church that is not evolving, changing, or growing. Wherever the Church is and wherever the Holy Spirit is still breathing life through God’s Word made flesh, there will always be Reformation.

Keywords: Jesus, Holy Spirit, All Saints, Church Universal, history, saints, past, story, future, vision, hope, Reformation

Jeremiah 29:4-14 - "Into Exile: Bloom Where You Are Planted"

Synopsis: Jeremiah challenges the Hebrews carried away in captivity to Babylon. He invites them to see exile not as a short transition period but as an opportunity to bloom where God has planted them. They are invited to build houses, plant vineyards, have children, and God promises to give them a future, “for I know the plans I have for you says the Lord…” Wherever we find ourselves in our journey, God gives us the opportunity to see ourselves as agents of God’s reconciliation as we bear witness to God’s love, compassion, and justice in our communities and lives.

Keywords: Jeremiah, Exile, hope, future, mission, faith, courage, wisdom, incarnation, presence, love, community

Luke 15:1-10 - “Founded for Good News in 1870”

Synopsis: Broadway was built for sharing Good News of great joy. For almost 150 years, we have broken bread, tended souls, and welcomed in strangers who become family as we grow together in wisdom and courage. Jesus didn’t discriminate between his dinner dates. He broke bread with Pharisees, Tax Collectors, and those who ached under the weight of poverty and oppression. The offense of the religious leaders inspires Jesus to tell them a parable of a shepherd searching for lost sheep and a woman searching for her lost coin. The experience of lostness and loneliness, of hopelessness and desperation, are universal human experiences, and God invites us to join in the rescue mission of bringing light and love to all people and places.

Keywords: Jesus, love, hope, welcome, inclusion, mission, wonder, stewardship, generosity, invitation

Luke 14:25-33 - "Founded for Good Dreams in 1870"

Synopsis: Dreaming is difficult, but necessary work. When we give ourselves the chance to dream and imagine future possibilities, we open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit and the opportunity to dream God’s dreams for our lives. But, the real work comes when we begin to make those dreams into a reality. Jesus tells this parable to illustrate discipleship, because following Christ requires preparation, planning, and pledging yourself to finish the task you start. Together, we begin this stewardship campaign looking into the future and dreaming God’s dreams as we count the cost of discipleship.

Keywords: Jesus, kingdom of God, dreams, vision, hope, wonder, stewardship, generosity, commitment, cost of discipleship

Luke 12:32-40 - “Stories Jesus Tells: Fight to Keep the Fire Burning”

Synopsis: Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” and then tells a parable of servants waiting for the master to return from a wedding feast. Weddings were sometimes multiple days and in an era before cellphones, a watchman had to keep the fires burning to welcome the master home at any time day or night. This watchfulness is like a fire burning inside, too, where we keep focused on our heart’s deepest desire and duty. According to Jürgen Moltmann, at the core Christianity is a religion on promise. There is a hopefulness to our faith which challenges the despair or numbness of our culture. We are called to keep the fire of hope and love burning through the night time of our fears.

Watch Christian Picciolini’s story on TED.com

(The sermon title comes from the song, “Fight to Keep,” by the band Korean-American Indie Rock band Run River North)

Keywords: Parables, Jesus, Kingdom of God, hope, promise, despair, violence, evil, white supremacy, racism, justice, peace, peacemaking, relationship, transformation, salvation, longing, belonging

Acts 4:13-22 - “You Can’t Unsee What You Have Seen”

Proclaimer: Rev. Dr. Bob I. Johnson

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another. They said, ‘What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it. But to keep it from spreading further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.’ So they called them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.’ After threatening them again, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because of the people, for all of them praised God for what had happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing had been performed was more than forty years old.