Matthew 13:44-52 / Proper 12A / 24 July 2011 / Holy Trinity Lutheran Church - Hacienda Heights, CA
I love a good fireworks show. On the fourth of July, a bunch of us were wandering around the Las Vegas strip on the rumor that one of the big hotels was going to have a fireworks display from its roof. Unfortunately, the only shows were on the street or inside the hotels, but no fireworks. I was greatly disappointed. A fourth of July without fireworks is like breakfast without bacon or a non-communion Sunday.
wcwirla
Matthew 13:1-9 / Proper 10A / 10 July 2011 / Holy Trinity - Hacienda Heights, CA
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11
Matthew 11:25-30 / Proper 09A / 03 July 2011 / Holy Trinity - Hacienda Heights, CA
“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.” Matthew 11:25-26
We’ve caught Jesus in one of “those moments” in this morning’s Gospel. Driven by frustration over His own generation, His own people, folks who should have known better. He had just engaged some disciples of John, who was in Herod’s prison, who asked whether He was actually the Christ or if they should look for someone else.
We’ve caught Jesus in one of “those moments” in this morning’s Gospel. Driven by frustration over His own generation, His own people, folks who should have known better. He had just engaged some disciples of John, who was in Herod’s prison, who asked whether He was actually the Christ or if they should look for someone else.
Matthew 10:34-42/ Proper 08A / 26 June 2011 / Holy Trinity - Hacienda Heights, CA
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword.” Matthew 10:34-42
Today’s Gospel reading comes chock full of seeming contradiction. Jesus, the Prince of Peace who promises “Peace, I leave you, my peace I give to you” says to His disciples, “I have not come to bring peace to the earth but a sword.” This kind of talk sounds so un-Jesus like. We bristle against this kind of talk, we who have lived through 9/11 and other acts of religious violence. Here is a passage that could be used against us. See, your Jesus says right here He comes to bring a sword not peace. Don’t you Christians claim to be peace-loving people? Isn’t Christianity a religion of peace? What’s this business of a sword?
Today’s Gospel reading comes chock full of seeming contradiction. Jesus, the Prince of Peace who promises “Peace, I leave you, my peace I give to you” says to His disciples, “I have not come to bring peace to the earth but a sword.” This kind of talk sounds so un-Jesus like. We bristle against this kind of talk, we who have lived through 9/11 and other acts of religious violence. Here is a passage that could be used against us. See, your Jesus says right here He comes to bring a sword not peace. Don’t you Christians claim to be peace-loving people? Isn’t Christianity a religion of peace? What’s this business of a sword?
Matthew 28:16-20 / Holy Trinity A / 19 June 2011 / Holy Trinity - Hacienda Heights, CA
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
And the catholic faith is this: that we worship one God in three persons and three Persons in one God, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the Substance.
“Make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20
Today is Holy Trinity Sunday, a feast day devoted to the mystery of the Godhead, a mystery that must be revealed in the Word and by the Word made flesh, a mystery that cannot be known by our own reason or senses. And let’s be honest here. If we were going to invent a god and a religion, we would not start with the paradox that God was three in Person yet one in Essence. It just doesn’t make sense. Or as the writer/apologist Dorothy Sayers put it: The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, the Spirit incomprehensible, the whole thing incomprehensible. And that’s how it should be. Any god that fits neatly inside of your head is not God.
And the catholic faith is this: that we worship one God in three persons and three Persons in one God, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the Substance.
“Make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20
Today is Holy Trinity Sunday, a feast day devoted to the mystery of the Godhead, a mystery that must be revealed in the Word and by the Word made flesh, a mystery that cannot be known by our own reason or senses. And let’s be honest here. If we were going to invent a god and a religion, we would not start with the paradox that God was three in Person yet one in Essence. It just doesn’t make sense. Or as the writer/apologist Dorothy Sayers put it: The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, the Spirit incomprehensible, the whole thing incomprehensible. And that’s how it should be. Any god that fits neatly inside of your head is not God.
John 07:37-39 / Pentecost A / 12 June 2011 / Holy Trinity - Hacienda Heights, CA
In addition to the readings we just heard, I would add this verse from Ephesians chapter 4 verse 30: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Today is, of course, Pentecost, the day the Church celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as Jesus breathes on His Church from the right hand of God and gives His Church breath and life to proclaim the good news of His saving death and resurrection. It’s a day full of grace and gladness, a day of promises fulfilled.
1 Peter 04:12-19; 5:6-11 / 7 Easter A / 05 June 2011 / Holy Trinity - Hacienda Heights, CA
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. - 1 Peter 4:12-13
Suffering. We’d rather avoid the topic, I think, just as we’d rather avoid suffering. And yet suffering is the crucible of faith, the refining fire that burns away the silliness, the superficiality, the sugar-coated spirituality, and leaves behind the pure gold of Word and Spirit-created faith.
Suffering. We’d rather avoid the topic, I think, just as we’d rather avoid suffering. And yet suffering is the crucible of faith, the refining fire that burns away the silliness, the superficiality, the sugar-coated spirituality, and leaves behind the pure gold of Word and Spirit-created faith.
1 Peter 03:13-22 / 6 Easter A / 29 May 2011 / Holy Trinity - Hacienda Heights, CA
Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 1 Peter 3:13-22
The word St. Peter uses is apologia, from which we get the word “apology.” But not in the sense that we commonly use it to mean I’m sorry for something and want to ask your forgiveness. Not that kind of apology. Apology here means explanation or defense, as in the Apology to the Augsburg Confession, one of our Lutheran confessional writings in the Book of Concord. It wasn’t that the Reformers were sorry for what they said in our confession at Augsburg; they wanted to explain more fully and defend what they confessed. Hence the Apology to the Augsburg Confession.
John 14:1-14 / 5 Easter A / 22 May 2011 / Holy Trinity - Hacienda Heights, CA
Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. John 14:1
Well, you’re here this morning, seeming to have survived the May 21st rapture madness. In case you hadn’t heard, Jesus was supposed to have come secretly to whisk off his believers yesterday, at least according to Harold Camping who was wrong about this in 1994 and was wrong again yesterday, leaving his followers looking like Linus in the pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin. In the OT false prophets were stoned to death, so they didn’t get a second chance to fleece the sheep. In our day, we just have to put up with it and try to convince our friends and neighbors that we are not like those crazy people who believe that the world is going to end and Jesus is going to come again.
Well, you’re here this morning, seeming to have survived the May 21st rapture madness. In case you hadn’t heard, Jesus was supposed to have come secretly to whisk off his believers yesterday, at least according to Harold Camping who was wrong about this in 1994 and was wrong again yesterday, leaving his followers looking like Linus in the pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin. In the OT false prophets were stoned to death, so they didn’t get a second chance to fleece the sheep. In our day, we just have to put up with it and try to convince our friends and neighbors that we are not like those crazy people who believe that the world is going to end and Jesus is going to come again.
Luke 24:13-35 / 3 Easter A / 08 May 2011 / Holy Trinity - Hacienda Heights, CA
Imagine that you are one of those two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus that first Easter Sunday. It’s late in the afternoon, around 4 o’clock. You are on foot, walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus; it’s about a seven mile journey. You’re talking. It’s been quite a day. You’d been awakened early in the morning, before sunrise. The women who had gone to the tomb of Jesus to complete his burial had come running back with some astonishing news. The tomb was open. The grave was empty. There was some almost incoherent talk of angels who said he was alive. Peter and John had rushed to the tomb and saw the grave cloths folded up neatly; the head covering folded separately. Mary Magdalene was nearly hysterical, claiming that she had seen Jesus and that He had called her by name.