Sermons and thoughts by the Rev. Alan Bentrup, a priest in Houston, Texas, co-founder of Missional Voices, and a guy who loves baseball.
Today in our children's message, we talked about Lincoln Logs. These are simple wooden toys that have been around for more than one hundred years. While many toys break or get thrown away, Lincoln Logs are still around and still loved. They remind us that some things are worth coming back to again and again.We also told the story of three young men in the Bible. Their names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were thrown into a hot fire because they would not worship a golden statue. But God did not leave them. He stayed with them. And something amazing happened. While they were in the fire, they sang.Their song said things like, “Sun and moon, bless the Lord.Fire and frost, bless the Lord.People everywhere, bless the Lord.” And they sang this again and again: “Praise God forever.”The golden statue is gone now. It did not last. But their song is still with us. And God's love is still with us too.We learned that God's love never runs out. It does not fade away when we are sad or afraid. It does not stop when we make a mistake. God's love is always strong, always near, and always forever.Just like Lincoln Logs are passed from one generation to the next, God's love has been passed from long ago to right now. And it will always be with you.
In this week's sermon, we reflect on what lasts.We begin with a story about Abraham Lincoln's cabin. Not the original one, but a recreated version in Kentucky that still draws visitors. Why? Because the story it tells - about humility, strength, and endurance - still matters.From that same story came something simple but lasting: Lincoln Logs. For over 100 years, children have played with these wooden pieces. They're not flashy. They're not high-tech. But we keep returning to them, because they speak to something we trust.That's the kind of love we hear about in Canticle 13 — the song sung by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the middle of the fiery furnace. They were thrown into danger for refusing to worship Nebuchadnezzar's golden statue, a towering idol built to impress and control.But while that statue is long gone, their song still echoes:The contrast is clear: idols fall, empires fade, feelings change. But God's love endures.This sermon invites us to stop chasing what won't last, and return instead to the steady, eternal love of God. A love that was there in the fire, and is still here now.“Praise him and highly exalt him forever.”
In this sermon from our Historical Markers summer series, we explore a story of healing at the Pool of Bethesda, and the surprising grace of Jesus. Set alongside the history of Mineral Wells, Texas, once known for its “healing waters,” we reflect on how many of us are still striving for healing, wholeness, and purpose.But what if grace doesn't meet us in our hustle?What if Jesus shows up not when we're scrambling to fix ourselves, but when we stop, sit still, and finally let go?Drawing from John 5:1–9, we discover a man who had been sick for 38 years, unable to get to the healing waters. And yet, it's there, in his stillness and surrender, that Jesus comes to him.This sermon reminds us:• You don't have to prove yourself for God to love you.• Even serving at church can become a way of trying to earn grace.• God doesn't need the organist, the ushers—or even the priest—for grace to arrive.• And if we're too busy—even doing good things—we might miss the healing standing right in front of us.Historical Marker + Gospel Marker = A New Invitation to Rest and Receive.
I preach about teachers, students, and remembering that we are loved. The text is John 13:31-35.
I preach about main characters, God's call, and how love is shown through everyday people. The text is Acts 9:36-43.
I preach about Jesus' presence in the locked rooms of our lives, from John 20:19-31.
Alleluia, Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!
I preach on Good Friday, from John 18:1-19:42.
My Maundy Thursday sermon, from John 13:1-17, 31b-35.
I kick off our Holy Week series, preaching on Luke 23:1-49 in "Woven Together: Palm Sunday."
The Rev. Alan Bentrup preaches about God's extravagant love in John 12:1-8.
I preach about God's unrelenting love through the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15.
My sermon for the Second Sunday of Lent. The scripture for today is:Genesis 15:1-12,17-18Philippians 3:17-4:1Luke 13:31-35
God is near, even on the First Sunday of Lent.Readings for this week:Deuteronomy 26:1-11Romans 10:8b-13Luke 4:1-13
My sermon for Ash Wednesday, 2025. The readings are:Joel 2:1-2,12-172 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10Matthew 6:1-6,16-21
I preach about trust for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany. The readings are:Jeremiah 17:5-101 Corinthians 15:12-20Luke 6:17-26Psalm 1
I preach on the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. Today's readings: Isaiah 43:1-7 Acts 8:14-17 Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 Psalm 29
Let's talk about St. Martin, looking at Matthew 25:31-46. Sorry for the quality. We're still replacing our video equipment after our electrical surge and this was shot on a cell phone.
Alan Bentrup preaches on God's mercy, looking at James 2:1-17 and Mark 7:24-37. It is the second part in our sermon series on James, "A Faith that Works."
What do Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch teach us about God's love?
Where do we hear ourselves in the story of Jesus' last week?
Alan Bentrup preaches about snakes, crosses, and idolatry.
The 10 commandments, Jesus cleansing the temple, and how we hold up our end of the bargain.
Alan and Gavin tackle the sermon together, looking at Lent, covenant, and what we're doing when we're baptized.
Evil tries to claim it all. And what does Jesus have to say about that?
Baptism is easy. The Christian life is the hard part.
Father Alan preaches on Sunday, September 10, 2023.
Father Alan preaches on Sunday, September 3, 2023.
When we feel alone or scared or like we're standing at the edge of a gap, God is trusting that we will learn that God is always with us.
God's table is big enough for diΛerent people. God's table is big enough for disagreement. God's table is even big enough for me, and for you.
Each one of us is called to go out into the world bearing witness to the Good News that Jesus Christ is raised from the dead, and that grace and mercy and forgiveness and life and love always have the final word.
Each one of us is called to go out into the world bearing witness to the Good News that Jesus Christ is raised from the dead, and that grace and mercy and forgiveness and life and love always have the final word.
Every cross flowers with new life. Every tomb holds the hope of new birth. Every darkness is overcome by light. It's true. It is absolutely true. Alleluia! Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
A funeral preached at the burial eucharist of Jordan DeClerk.
That's the truth of this story. That's the Good News of this day. Death is hell, but Jesus Christ meets us here.
Jesus Christ calls us to wait with him. In the intimacy, the vulnerability, and the silence. In the fear and the grief and the despair. We're called to wait.
Who told you that you were the worst thing you had ever done?
We're going to let God speak to us in the midst of the changes of this life. I don't know what changes you are dealing with. Maybe it's a change in your health or well-being. Maybe it's a change in your family. Maybe it's a change in your work. Maybe it's a dream that didn't work out, or even a dream that is working out better than you imagined. In the midst of all of these changes, we're going to listen for God's voice.
There are profound implications to being named salt and light. Salt and light transform things. Salt and light reveal things. And we are called to transform human activity in such a way that it reveals God in this world.
Jesus' strategy for facing the road ahead can be found right here in today's Gospel, in the beatitudes: Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. This is how we face the challenges, the uncertainties, and the opportunities of life. This is how we face the road ahead.
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