Synopsis:
Rev. Timothy Peoples of Emerywood Baptist Church in High Point, NC, preaching on Song of Songs 2:8-13.
Matthew 10:40-42- "Fourth Sunday after Pentecost"
Synopsis:
On the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, we continue with Jesus teaching to his disciples as he prepares them to be sent into a dangerous world. Finally, he tells them to look for those who will offer cups of cold water to them, those agents of hospitality and grace in unexpected places. We live in a world hungering and thirsting for justice, and each of us have a cup of cold water to share with God’s beloved, but the needs are so great feels like watering the desert. And yet, if we all share our cups of cold water, God will continue to quench every thirst.
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.”
John 14:15-21- "The Orphans of God"
Synopsis:
On the Sixth Sunday of Eastertide, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit, the Paraklete or the Advocate, who will come beside them and walk with them after Jesus has left. Yet, Jesus leaves them in the body but his promise of the Holy Spirit is to not leave them orphaned. In the story of the Exonerated Five (formerly called the Central Park Five), we see the resilience of love and what it means to be not left orphaned but advocates for those our society forgets who God will not ever forget.
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29- "Clearing the Way for Christ: Palm Sunday"
Synopsis:
Throughout Lent, we have been asking God to give us fresh eyes to see all aspects of our life together as a community of faith. On Palm Sunday, the Psalmist reminds us that the most unlikely one becomes the foundation for the whole building. Jesus rides into Jerusalem not on a white steed like a conquering Caesar but on a goofy donkey (a colt even, so his feet were probably dragging on the ground) to show that God’s power and the world’s power are radically and fundamentally different. Jesus conquers not not by shedding the blood of his enemies but by allowing himself to be executed like a common criminal on a Roman cross–a gruesome but regularly used instrument of torture and death. Christ comes to teach us what power truly looks like, as he says in John 15:12-13, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Palm Sunday is a reminder to us that God’s Kingdom is always coming and already arriving, and the policies of God’s Kingdom look radically different than the policies of this world. In God’s Kingdom, lions lay down with lambs instead of eating them and mortal enemies break bread as brothers and sisters.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20- "The Light Has Changed: Who Lives, Who Dies, and a Story Worth Telling"
Synopsis:
Moses stands on a mountainside for a second time for the second retelling of the law, and the summation of the law should sound familiar to Christian ears reading backwards who know Jesus’ synopsis of all ethics: love God and love neighbor like you love yourself. Moses offers an every consequence: If you choose life, you will live long, but if you choose death you will surely die. But, the surprising twist is religion is not about rule-following, purity culture, or clean living. Religion is about our relationship with God, our fellow humans, and the earth we inhabit. Living with an ethic of love is a matter of life and death. In the alternate texts for today, Matthew speaks about the importance of reconciliation, and Paul writes about division in the church and the importances of moving beyond “teams” to the unity of the Gospel. In light of Moses’ words, it is our relationships with each other that are a matter of life and death, so let us choose lives which bring the light of love, forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace in all of our spaces.
Matthew 4:12-23- "The Light Has Changed: Arise Your Light is Come"
Synopsis:
As Jesus calls his first disciples, we are invited to continue to search for the calling God has on our lives. For each of us, no matter our age and station in life, there are those who need a word or deed of comfort, of compassion, and of Good News. As those first four disciples left behind their boats, they were called back into there own neighborhoods and hometowns to follow Jesus and share the Good News of God’s Reign of Love and Justice. To what is God calling you this day?
Keywords:
Calling, Jesus, mission, Good News, evangelism, justice, compassion, love
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
Luke 23:33-43 - "Christ the King"
Synopsis: On Reign of Christ Sunday, we celebrate the culmination of the Christian calendar with the coronation of Christ the King. Although, our King is not crowned with gold but with thorns; Christ is not crowned with glory but with our shame. Even in these final breaths, Jesus takes time to tell the criminal beside him, “today you will be with me in Paradise.” People have puzzled over these words for millennia, but the mystery points us to a deep comfort and confidence that even in his final hours, Jesus did not stop speaking for the most vulnerable people around him–even a heart-broken criminal being executed. Christ’s crucifixion continues to call us to not crown ourselves with glory and honor through success, popularity, or comfort, but to humble ourselves and speak out for those who hang on history’s crosses.
Keywords: Reign of Christ Sunday, Christ the King, Jesus, cross, crucifixion, glory, honor, shame, justice, humility, compassion, grace, liberation
Jeremiah 14:19-22 - "Into Exile: Does God Need Reminding?"
Rembrandt: Jeremiah weeping over the destruction of Jerusalem.
Synopsis: The Judean Temptation to worship false idols is not just an ancient problem. In times of crisis, transition, or need we often turn to (lower-case) gods to solve our problems and assuage our anxiety about the unpredictability of the future. As for the Hebrews going into Exile, Jeremiah challenges them to cast aside their false gods who offer them no solace or success. And yet, we continue to worship our trinkets, screens, and tangible objects which offer us a comfort that is fleeting in the face of real questions like, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” On the other hand, God continues to pursue Jeremiah’s people in grace and love, causing us to wonder the opposite, “Why do good things happen to bad people?”
Keywords: Jeremiah, Exile, worship, praise, truth, grace, justice, holiness, Trinity, incarnation, false gods, temptations, idolatry
1 Timothy 6:6-19 - "Founded for Good Works in 1870"
Synopsis: We conclude our Stewardship Campaign with these words from these words traditionally attributed to Paul writing to his young protege, Timothy. Since her beginnings, the Church has always been a people of not only prayer and faith, but also action and good works. Paul tells young Timothy to remind his people that their security will not be founded on the accumulation of wealth and worldly security, but in lives filled with generosity, commitment, and acts of compassion and kindness for neighbors and enemies alike. This counter-cultural way of Jesus invites us into an abundant life founded for good on the life of Christ and the love of the Triune God.
Keywords: Jesus, Trinity, good works, hands and feet of Christ, stewardship, firm foundation, compassion, justice, joy, love
Luke 14:1, 7-14 - "An Honorable Mention"
Synopsis: Jesus is invited to his third dinner party in the Gospel of Luke, and has two important bits of wisdom to share with the guests (who scramble for seats of honor) and the hosts (who only invite people who can provide a quid pro quo of power, access, or position to them). Honor/Shame matrices are foreign to us as Americans, but this teaching from Jesus is saturated in his cultural situation. To rise above your station on your own without an invitation from a higher-up, is a bold, risky move that usually ends with a shameful dismissal. Although, God is God who lifts up the lowly and bestows honor to those who otherwise might be ignored by most folks in society.
Keywords: Jesus, honor, hospitality, justice, compassion, love, grace, inclusion, Kingdom of God
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
Luke 10:25-37 - "Counting on the Kindness of Strangers"
Synopsis: In one of the two most popular, beloved, and convicting stories Jesus tells (the Prodigal Son being the other), we hear Jesus’ response to a young lawyer wanting to clarify his question and justify himself: the Parable of the Good Samaritan. This scandalous story’s hero is a representative of one of the most hated people groups to Jesus’ Jewish audience. Samaritans are the ancestors of the remnants in the land of Israel after the Assyrian conquest. Their religion, blood, and cultural was a mix of surrounding people groups which was abhorrent to the national purification project in Judea during Roman occupation. The challenge Jesus offers is not only to be a good neighbor to those we might dislike, distrust, or even hate, but the real twist is wondering what happens to the human heart when you have to count on the kindness of a stranger? As Paul says about God, becomes true of our neighbors, “kindness leads us to repentance,” and human hearts are transformed by love.
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.
Acts 1:1-11 - "The Ascension: To Infinity and Beyond"
Jesus gathers his disciples before ascending back into full, spiritual communion with the Trinity and before sending the Holy Spirit. Once the Holy Spirit arrives, they will become his witnesses of salt and light in Jerusalem, all throughout the countryside in Judea and Samaria (two regions segregated by ethnic and cultural tension), and to the ends of the earth. Although, we are not told exactly when Jesus was culminate this work and exact where we are to go. The Infinite God is not bound by time or space. In God’s infinity of time, we are called to live and love each day like it’s our last and lean into the eternal present in each moment. In God’s infinity of space, we are called to bear witness to God’s love and Christ’s Resurrected Life in lands far away from our hometowns or even in our own backyard as God’s agents of peace and reconciliation. Wherever God sends us, we have an opportunity to lay roots and bloom where we are planted.
Psalm 23 - “Psalms, Part 3: An Old, Familiar Tune”
Psalm 23 is arguably the most familiar passage of scripture next to John 3:16. The pastoral, rural imagery of God as shepherd evokes emotions of comfort and safety, even though the life of a shepherd was hardly safe or comfortable. Traditionally attributed to David, the Psalm speaks of God’s parental care for God’s children (particularly poignant on Mother’s Day) which provides and protects us all the days of our life. Although, God does not promise to fix all of our problems, but promises to be present, responsive, and always pursing us with goodness and mercy. This promise is not made exclusively to the initiated, but the Good Shepherd even makes a table for us in the presence of our enemies, and through the power of Jesus’ resurrection, God continues make all things new and fulfill the old, familiar promise to Father Abraham and Mother Sarah to make one family out of all Creation. The promise of the Good Shepherd is we are not alone, and there is no far away with the God in whom we live and move and have our being.
Luke 24:1-12 - "Hope Springs Eternal"
The women, who go to grieve and tend the corpse of Jesus, become the first preachers in the Christian faith. Their news is too good to be true, so the disciples ignore and silence them, but Peter has to see for himself. When he gets to the tomb to see whether or not their news was too good to be true, he sees an empty tomb and old burial linens and his hope springs eternal. Christ’s bodily resurrection from the dead inaugurates God’s Kingdom reality of all things becoming new. Even though we see crucifixion all around us, “Despite appearances, it is an Easter world.”
John 12:1-8 - “A Worthy Investment”
Mary pours a ridiculously expensive perfume on Jesus as an act of love, devotion, and preparation for his imminent death. Judas, who John does not give any grace, grumbles about how she should have sold it and given the proceeds away to the poor (with the possibility that Judas wanted to take a cut). Jesus speaks the cringe-worthy words which have justified so many careless, callous Christians to ignore the God-given social contract of care for the poor. Jesus, who reads the Isaiah scroll declaring himself to be a champion for the marginalized, honors Mary’s gift and shames Judas, because there will always be more work to do, more care to give, more needs to meet, and more justice to seek. Life is not just about doing or accomplishing or fixing, but also about resting in the lavish love and peace of God. Sabbath means we work six days and then we rest, and Judas tried to embarrass Mary by taking the seventh day to celebrate that Jesus was still with them, even if only for a little while longer. The broader way of Lent is not just about suffering and self-denials but also taking the opportunity to soak in Christ’s love and presence in extravagant ways.
Art by Julia Stankova of Bulgaria