Sermon – Theologybird Writes

I love the image of a person figuring out how high their tower can be or the king sorting out the costs of war. They are so real, as I discuss. And they aren’t the point. Jesus is talking about Discipleship. I worked most closely with Luke 14.25-33 (link).

Between some vacation, a guest preacher, and some other schedule oddities, writing and preaching meant finding some old habits. So we have a classic sci-fi reference and a story from Genesis. Which makes perfect sense when the text is the Epistle to the Hebrews. I am preaching from Hebrews 13. 1-8 15-16, but reference Genesis [...]

The story of Naaman’s healing is so many things. It’s a moment where Elisha proves he’s equal to his mentor, where the geopolitics in the region ramp up to a near crisis, there’s a bit of humour around who is worthy of honour. But most of all it’s about the faith of an unnamed slave [...]

I have loved this story of Elijah in the mountain cave since I first heard it. Not only do I think the prophets of 1 &2 Kings have wisdom for the modern Church, but it’s so human to want to be intimidated in the face of building or rebuilding. Also, God does a lot of [...]

Pentecost is hard to preach because what I don’t want to do is take the overwhelmingness of the Holy Spirit and shrink her into my sermon. Instead, I hope that what I preach orients us all (including me!) to the ongoing work of God the Holy Spirit around and through us. I worked most closely [...]

In Eastertide I miss the readings from the First Testament, but I also love the story of Acts and how many fascinating sections like todays we get to spend time with. Paul and Silas in jail, singing. Which is both inspiring and dangerous to the same system that incarcerated them. Here’s what I said: I [...]

I joined the lovely people at St Thomas’s Anglican Church this morning. I worked most closely with Acts 16.6-15. The Lectionary starts at verse 9. Here’s what I said:

I love this passage. I think many preachers do. “Love one another as I have loved you” is rich in theology and potential sermon directions. I got hung up on the first bit, “When he had gone out…” Which points to how much else is going on.Here’s what I said: I worked most closely with [...]

Today we get St Paul’s call story, so we talked a bit about who St Paul was and what having him as our patronal saint might mean. I worked most closely Acts 9.1-19a.

We have so few of the stories of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. This story, this resurrection appearance, hints at such a rich history. They knew each other so well. I worked with John 20.1-18.

I love preaching today. It’s also possibly the hardest sermon to preach. Today the vulnerability of Jesus, of God, of the creator of the universe, is on display. The lessons for Good Friday are here. At our ecumenical service, the reading was Luke 22.54-23-56. I was blessed with local ecumenical colleagues to collaborate with on [...]

Feet, tensions in the Holy Land, questions of power, vulnerability. Listen to what I said: Here are the lessons for tonight: link.

As I say in the sermon, a mentor used to say that in every group someone is coming from a wedding and someone from a funeral. This meal Jesus has in Bethany with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha is exactly like that, so very human. I worked most closely with John 12.1-6.

This was a weird Sunday. For what I’m fairly certain is the second time in my life, the weather meant that driving to church was a bad idea–something that became clearer as the day went on. I’m blessed with lay people who are good about stepping up and helping out, but the sermon is a [...]

Jesus, hungry, in the desert. Hearing this weeks episode from The First Reading Podcast really changed how I heard the exchanges between Jesus and the devil. Here’s what I said: I worked most closely with Luke 4.1-13.

I love this passage from John. I think it’s one of the first passages I memorized (even if only roughly). For years I dreaded preaching it at Christmas, but I’ve come to love hearing it’s majesty next to the imagery of a baby in a manger. For this is God. I worked with John 1.1-18

In this morning’s Gospel we jump 12 years from, checks notes, yesterday. I love Jesus’s knowledge that this is where he belongs, in his father’s house. I love the love (and frustration) Mary and Joseph feel. I worked with Luke 2.41-52.

Merry Christmas! I worked with Luke 2.1-20

Merry Christmas! I worked with Luke 2.1-20.

On the longest night of the year, we hold worship space for those whom suffering and grief are part of their lives this year. I worked most closely with Isaiah 40.1-11.

I worked most closely with Luke 1.39-55.

I worked most closely with Philippians 4.4-7.

I worked most closely with Luke 3.1-6.

I worked most closely with Luke 21.25-36.

Happy All Saints (transferred from Nov 1)! As I read this snippet of the raising of Lazarus, I heard an echo from the story of Ezekiel in the valley of Dry Bones. Then I worked in a little about knitting, because this is apparently my new All Saints theme. I worked with John 11:32-44 and [...]

I have loved the book of Ruth since I discovered it in my children’s bible when I was little. I was delighted to find another new depth in it this year. I worked with Ruth 1.1-18.

I love Job, except for the last part where the book tries to give Job a happily ever after ending. I’m not opposed to Job having good in his life. But grief and suffering don’t disappear from our lives or memories because good things happened. The lessons for the day can be found here. I [...]

The lessons can be found by clicking here.

Happy Thanksgiving! How have you been part of community this year? I worked largely with the collect for Thanksgiving: Creator of the fruitful earth, you made us stewards of all things. Give us grateful hearts for all your goodness, and steadfast wills to use your bounty well, that the whole human family, today and in [...]

When Jesus talks about divorce, I always feel like I need to address it. Given that it’s the first time this passage has come up at this Church, I said this: I worked most closely with Mark 10.2-16

Today we hear parts of Esther’s story. Which I love but seems newly relevant today. I worked with all of Esther, which can be read online here.

This sermon is about Proverbs and brainteasers. (I would say more but we got a puppy this afternoon. Also why this is going up so late tonight.) Here’s a link to the texts.

The question about handwashing just hits differently in the middle of a pandemic. Which can’t be a whole sermon. But it did help shape this sermon. Listen: I worked most closely with Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23.

For the sermon before a week of needed vacation, I’m quite happy. However there are a few details I want to correct or elaborate on. First, there are 39 Articles of Religion. Although the one I quote is the 29th, so perhaps we can assume that’s the basis for my confusion? Second, for my fellow [...]

I kept hearing this hymn in my head every time I read this passage. It’s a favourite of mine and very clearly drawn from this text. Which lead to some other trips through earlier thoughts I’ve had about this passage. I worked most closely with John 6.34 41-51.

Here’s a little behind-the-scenes that would never have turned into a sermon: Ever since learning that in John, Jesus asks people questions to see if they are ready to better know him, all I can think of for a second is how during our midweek lectionary bible study, I’ll ask people what they know about [...]

In our first reading David and Nathan engage in a theological discussion that is ongoing. One of the places it exists today is how worship happens during a pandemic. I worked with 2 Sam 7.1-14a.

I have questions on my mind. Obviously. I was really drawn into the similarities between these passages but a sermon talking about those seemed a lot more like a lecture. However, they also reminded me of one of my favourite questions to hear that also makes me a little nervous. I worked with both 2 [...]

This week this lovely rich passage became about the questions Jesus’s hometown poses for him and how he responds because I have a lot of questions as our province enters a very open stage and St Paul’s is in the early stages of planning to resume in-building worship. I worked most closely with Mark 6.1-13.

For perhaps the better, I didn’t think of it this way until after Church, but this could be the story of Jesus approving of side quests. (If that doesn’t make sense, that’s why it’s probably for the best. I love this story. Admittedly, I love most stories in the Bible, but this is probably top [...]

My favourite line in this sermon has little to do with the rest of it. But I make a road construction season joke. Anyway, here’s how my brain makes sense of David and Goliath in a time of pandemic. I worked most closely with 1 Samuel 17. 1a 4-11, 19-23, 32-49 but I strongly suggest [...]

Sunday was a first. My computer decided to suddenly shut down in the middle of my sermon. I’m very thankful that the lovely people at St Paul’s responded to my sudden disappearance with calm patience. (This was, of course, live on the internet. Yay?) Thanks to the miracle of edited audio files, below is a [...]

This was not the sermon I’d planned to preach at the beginning of the week. I’d been very drawn to the Isaiah text, for many reasons including a chance to only mention Trinitarian theology in passing. (I am generally a believer in preaching on the difficult passages and theologies but I’ve preached a decade or [...]

Pentecost is my ordination anniversary (sort of–by calendar date it could also be the Feast of the Visitation). I love this story of the Spirit calling, bustling, sending the disciples out of their comfort zone. But that was not the aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work I’ve turned to most often lately. I worked most [...]

I usually don’t preach from the Psalms because while I love them, they are a little slippery. I love Psalm 1, especially the language about the righteous being like trees planted by streams of water. I worked most closely with Psalm 1.

I really love Peter and Cornelius’s story. It’s intricate–definitely too intricate for a lectionary reading–and so worth knowing. Knowing the whole story really helps give shape to how we follow Jesus’s command to love one another. I worked with Acts 10.44-48 and John 15.9-17. You can find the lectionary readings here and all of Acts [...]

I do not always know how I fit into some of the Bible’s agricultural metaphors. I do not have a green thumb. But I feel into and in love with Jesus’s vine metaphor. I worked most closely with John 15.1-8.

The fourth Sunday in Easter is Good Shepherd Sunday. Every year we hear stories about our Good Shepherd. Which is beautiful and sometimes a tad exhausting for a preacher. Thank you to Sheepishly Me for some sheepish content that helped me with the exhausting angle.This year of pandemic, stress, deaths, and distancing, how badly do [...]

Every year I’m entranced and amused by the resurrected Jesus eating fish while his disciples watch. Here’s what I said this year: I worked with Luke 24.36a-48 and the prayer over the gifts.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! I worked most closely with Mark 16.1-8.

A seminary classmate did an exegesis on “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom” and said that every time she heard that lesson she heard the Taize melody. And now I do too. When and where are Jesus’s Kingdom? The lessons for today can be found here.