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Sermons (Page 44)

Living Generosity

The Rev. Carr Holland considers Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10): “In this political season, we can find Zacchaeus. In fact, we can find several of them. Someone who has prospered and you’re not sure by what means, how they have come by their wealth, and the level of their morality. Zacchaeus was despised by others, his own people, though he was rich. He had no place, so he was viewed by some as outside of God’s grace and care. Maybe we don’t all know his feeling of alienation, but many of us know what it’s like to come to a moment when we realize what we have held as important suddenly is not.”

The Ties That Bind

The Rev. Javier Almendárez Bautista discusses Joel 2:23-32: “I’ve been thinking about water lately. Human beings, of course, are full of it. Its strength relies so heavily on its weakness. It is weak enough to roll off our hands, yet strong enough that it can creep through crevices of rock and stone and break them apart.”

Pray Always

Fr. George considers Jesus’s call to “pray always” in Luke 18:1-8: “Often, when we hear the word ‘praying,’ we think of saying prayers, but prayer has a broader meaning, especially in this time of incredible conflict.”

“If I just had more faith…”

The Rev. Candy Snively reflects on Luke 17:5-10: “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ They appear to be a bit overwhelmed by his teaching, and they turn to Jesus and ask for an increase in their faith. I think most of us have struggled with this at some point in our lives. If I just had more faith, I wouldn’t have so many questions or doubts. If I just had more faith, I would be a better person. But faith is not about size or quantity.”

Where is your gate?

Fr. George reflects on Luke 16:19-31: “The rich man didn’t hate Lazarus. He didn’t have any feelings about Lazarus. The rich man was just oblivious to Lazarus; he just wasn’t aware. […] Where are the places in our lives where there are people at the gate who we’re oblivious to?”

The Call and Response of Abundance

Rev. Javier A. Bautista discusses Luke 16:1-13: “When I think of the wonder of the world God created in abundance, and I compare it to the world I encounter in the gospel today, a world of seeming scarcity, of being wily with resources, I’m taken aback a little bit. There’s a marked contrast between the faithful stewards of creation, the intended purpose for humankind, and the dishonest manager we meet in our story today.”

All are welcome

Luke 15:1-10
“All are welcome.” It’s a sign we have hanging outside the entrance of our church… It so defines what we think St. Paul’s is about… To me, “all are welcome” is the message of the gospel; “all are welcome” is the message of Jesus.

The Place for Our Stuff

Luke 14:25-33
A couple of months ago, I shared some thoughts on who we are and who we want to be… Today, I want to share some thoughts on how we define ourselves as individuals…. We have so many ways of defining our identity… But one way we determine our identity that stands out from the rest is our possessions, our stuff, and Jesus says we have to give it all up…

Table Manners of Hope and Mercy

Luke 14:1, 7-14
George Washington, one of the founding fathers and the first president of the United States, transcribed a little book as a school exercise sometime before he was 16 years old. It is entitled Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation … The gospel today sounds a little like Washington’s rules. It reads like a lesson in table manners… but there’s something more at stake here.