Proper 15, 12th Sun. /Pentecost, 20 Ordinary, Lectionary 21.
John 6.56-69, Ephesians 6.10-20, Ps. 34.15-22, Josh. 24.1-2, 10-20
Proper 15, 12th Sun. /Pentecost, 20 Ordinary, Lectionary 21.
John 6.56-69, Ephesians 6.10-20, Ps. 34.15-22, Josh. 24.1-2, 10-20
We come week after week… some with more consistency than
others… but for the most part we show up.
As I said in another sermon, some of us come because of convention, like an old habit, like brushing after
meals, washing before we eat and bowing our head for a prayer that someone
taught us somewhere back at the beginning of time.
Others come because of convenience, it’s
easier than “fighting” about whether you are up to it or not. In my family you came because you had a
father who said you were going… I can still hear it “… as long as you put your
feet under my table you will do as I say.”
I once thought about putting my feet on the table … but, that was fleeting thought, soon banished - love
of life won out over adolescent impulsivity! Lucky for me.
And if the truth be known, we also come out of a sense of
comfort and habit.
Others come because of conviction. We are convicted that what happens here is a
matter of life and death. But it seems that there are less and less of these
“latter day saints.”
And perhaps we come because of all of these, convention,
convenience and conviction..
The OT lesson comes from the last Chapter of that book.
It was Joshua who
completed the Journey that Moses began, which ended with the conquest of the
land of milk and honey… conquest was short-lived.
Joshua is at the end of the journey and the end of his rope.
He asks, or more like my dad, calls for a decision: choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors
served... or the gods of the Amorites in
whose land you are living; but for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
24.15b.
There you have it.
The theme continues throughout the lessons that are part of
today’s reading.
Paul, if he actually penned these words (there seems to be
some question regarding the authorship of this letter), like Joshua of old is telling
us that the world is a battleground of competing loyalties…
It seems that there is pill for all that ails! If you look
at the car advertisements there has been a major shift for the better. Instead
to how fast we can go from 0 to 60 we now hear how far we can go on a gallon of
gas! It's about time…
Using military imagery “Armor of God” “the belt of truth”
“the breastplate of righteousness”.
“Shoes that help to proclaim the gospel of peace” – or as
Nike has it “just do it!”
“The shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, “the sword of
the Spirit.” This text calls all Christians to battle!
The object of a military offensive or is it defensive?... is
also given.
“… authorities, cosmic powers, spiritual forces
of evil…” not to mention “the flaming
arrows of the evil one.”
One of my favorite NT scholars John Dominic Crossan speaks
about the similarity of the
For the past two years we have read out the names of
soldiers who have died in combat in
I read them as a reminder that maybe it is time to stop.
For every soldier that has died countless civilians have
died… I use the word “countless”
deliberately because we don’t know how many.
I clip AP articles from the Atlantic City Press. Last week I found this one:
We are at war, but the war that the writers of the Bible
speak about also has a spiritual dimension…
Like a general giving a rousing speech to her troops before
the battle, this letter closes by calling on Christians to be equipped for
spiritual battle against evil.
The full armor of God includes truth, righteousness, peace,
faith, the gift of salvation and the word of God.
Do words matter… ask JFK when he visited
I was sitting in the waiting room when I got the call to
meet the doctor who was the surgeon that did MJ’s lumpectomy.
In the characteristic
green scrubs that have become the hallmark of his trade, with baggies tied around his shoes and a surgical
mask dangling below his chin like some cowboy’s handkerchief.
He said that the preliminary visual looked like it was
cancer.
He told me that I could go to the recovery room and wait for
her to be wheeled out post-op. I went and as I sat there and looked down at her
as she was fading in and out of consciousness – I knew what she would say once
she came to.
I was in no hurry for her to wake up. When she finally did,
she said “have you seen the Doctor.” “yes,” “ what did he say?” I couldn’t say
it. I said, “I think he wants to talk to us.”
Do words matter?
It has been nine months since I last visited my oldest
daughter and her family in S.C.
It was Christmas. He is an engineer and for the last few
years he has constructed a Christmas float for my granddaughter Aston’s school.
For the last two years all the kids collected gallon milk
cartons – hundreds of them.
He constructed an igloo with them… one big enough for kids to sit inside and wave at the crowds through several openings. Along with the igloo he constructed a giant Rudolph with blinking red nose, reindeer and all. Ashton’s school won for two years in a row. This past Christmas he constructed a large replica of the American Flag with thousands of small lights that gave a sort of waving in the breeze effect, and in front of this huge flag, on a flat-bed trailer pulled by a Hum Vee, were several men in uniform with helmets and rifles and my daughter dressed as
Proper 15, 12th Sun. /Pentecost, 20 Ordinary, Lectionary 21.
John 6.56-69, Ephesians 6.10-20, Ps. 34.15-22, Josh. 24.1-2, 10-20
We come week after week… some with more consistency than
others… but for the most part we show up.
As I said in another sermon, some of us come because of convention, like an old habit, like brushing after
meals, washing before we eat and bowing our head for a prayer that someone
taught us somewhere back at the beginning of time.
Others come because of convenience, it’s
easier than “fighting” about whether you are up to it or not. In my family you came because you had a
father who said you were going… I can still hear it “… as long as you put your
feet under my table you will do as I say.”
I once thought about putting my feet on the table … but, that was fleeting thought, soon banished - love
of life won out over adolescent impulsivity! Lucky for me.
And if the truth be known, we also come out of a sense of
comfort and habit.
Others come because of conviction. We are convicted that what happens here is a
matter of life and death. But it seems that there are less and less of these
“latter day saints.”
And perhaps we come because of all of these, convention,
convenience and conviction..
The OT lesson comes from the last Chapter of that book.
It was Joshua who
completed the Journey that Moses began, which ended with the conquest of the
land of milk and honey… conquest was short-lived.
Joshua is at the end of the journey and the end of his rope.
He asks, or more like my dad, calls for a decision: choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors
served... or the gods of the Amorites in
whose land you are living; but for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
24.15b.
There you have it.
The theme continues throughout the lessons that are part of
today’s reading.
Paul, if he actually penned these words (there seems to be
some question regarding the authorship of this letter), like Joshua of old is telling
us that the world is a battleground of competing loyalties…
It seems that there is pill for all that ails! If you look
at the car advertisements there has been a major shift for the better. Instead
to how fast we can go from 0 to 60 we now hear how far we can go on a gallon of
gas! It's about time…
Using military imagery “Armor of God” “the belt of truth”
“the breastplate of righteousness”.
“Shoes that help to proclaim the gospel of peace” – or as
Nike has it “just do it!”
“The shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, “the sword of
the Spirit.” This text calls all Christians to battle!
The object of a military offensive or is it defensive?... is
also given.
“… authorities, cosmic powers, spiritual forces
of evil…” not to mention “the flaming
arrows of the evil one.”
One of my favorite NT scholars John Dominic Crossan speaks
about the similarity of the
For the past two years we have read out the names of
soldiers who have died in combat in
I read them as a reminder that maybe it is time to stop.
For every soldier that has died countless civilians have
died… I use the word “countless”
deliberately because we don’t know how many.
I clip AP articles from the Atlantic City Press. Last week I found this one:
We are at war, but the war that the writers of the Bible
speak about also has a spiritual dimension…
Like a general giving a rousing speech to her troops before
the battle, this letter closes by calling on Christians to be equipped for
spiritual battle against evil.
The full armor of God includes truth, righteousness, peace,
faith, the gift of salvation and the word of God.
Do words matter… ask JFK when he visited
I was sitting in the waiting room when I got the call to
meet the doctor who was the surgeon that did MJ’s lumpectomy.
In the characteristic
green scrubs that have become the hallmark of his trade, with baggies tied around his shoes and a surgical
mask dangling below his chin like some cowboy’s handkerchief.
He said that the preliminary visual looked like it was
cancer.
He told me that I could go to the recovery room and wait for
her to be wheeled out post-op. I went and as I sat there and looked down at her
as she was fading in and out of consciousness – I knew what she would say once
she came to.
I was in no hurry for her to wake up. When she finally did,
she said “have you seen the Doctor.” “yes,” “ what did he say?” I couldn’t say
it. I said, “I think he wants to talk to us.”
Do words matter?
It has been nine months since I last visited my oldest
daughter and her family in S.C.
It was Christmas. He is an engineer and for the last few
years he has constructed a Christmas float for my granddaughter Aston’s school.
For the last two years all the kids collected gallon milk
cartons – hundreds of them.
He constructed an igloo with them… one big enough for kids
to sit inside and wave at the crowds through several openings. Along with the igloo he constructed a giant
Rudolph with blinking red nose, reindeer and all. Ashton’s school won for two years in a row.
This past Christmas he constructed a large replica of the American Flag with
thousands of small lights that gave a sort of waving in the breeze effect, and
in front of this huge flag, on a flat-bed trailer pulled by a Hum Vee, were
several men in uniform with helmets and rifles and my daughter dressed as
Martha, my son-in law, dressed as George and the two girls in period costumes
of that time.
So, I’m sitting in their living room looking at the video
that he had made by mounting a camera on the float… music and all and when it was
over I said,
“What does that have to do with Christmas?”
He got up and told me that he was not comfortable with me in
his home… So we left!
Do words matter?
Jesus said “those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide
in me, and I in them.”
When many of his
disciples heard it, they said,
“This teaching is
difficult; who can accept it?”
Do words matter?
Because of this many
of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked
the Twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to
whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Joshua the Patriarch said “… choose this day whom you will serve… as for me and my household, we
will serve the Lord.”
That of course has always been the question…
The blood and body of Jesus in the Gospel of John are
metaphors for His death by crucifixion…
That was the part that many
of his followers could not or would not accept.
They could not accept a suffering God.
It has been said… Don’t fear the judgment of God, as much as
his Love… amen.