Thursday, December 19, 2013

Sermon Audio 12/8/2013

Lutheran Church of the Savior, Kalamazoo

Second Sunday of Advent, Lectionary Year A

Isaiah 11:1-10
 

11A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. 2The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 4but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. 6The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. 7The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. 9They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
10On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

"A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots." The story of the life of Christian faith is the story of death paradoxically leading to new life. From an old pizza pan to a revered world leader to Jesus himself, death leads to new life.


Sermon Audio 12/15/2013

Lutheran Church of the Savior, Kalamazoo

Third Sunday of Advent, Lectionary Year A

Matthew 11:2-11
2When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples 3and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” 4Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”
7As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 

John the Baptist asks Jesus an impatient question: "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" But does John know what he is waiting for? Do we?


Sunday, December 1, 2013

Sermon Audio 12/1/2013

Lutheran Church of the Savior, Kalamazoo

First Sunday of Advent, Lectionary Year A

Romans 13:8-14

The new church year starts off with a bang, as we wait for Jesus to return by acting as if he's already here. I talk a lot about the reign of Christ, but it occurs to me that people might just as reasonably think I'm saying "rain of Christ." R-E-I-G-N, reign. Got that? OK, good.



Sermon Audio 11/27/2013

Lutheran Church of the Savior, Kalamazoo

Thanksgiving Eve Worship, Lectionary Year C

John 6:24-35

Eucharist is the fancy church word that means "thanksgiving," so when we celebrate the sacrament at our Thanksgiving Eve worship, the sermon practically writes itself!