SERMONS
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Thin places
Oftentimes in my work as a hospital chaplain, when I’m with someone whose loved one is dying or has recently died, I invite them to take a deep breath. To sigh. Sometimes I take that breath with them. (Deep sigh.) And then I paraphrase these words from Romans: “When we do not know how or what to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.”
Our sighs are prayers too. Sometimes they are the only prayers we have.
Who we are together
Have you ever known you were supposed to do something, but actually doing it was a whole lot harder than you expected? Someone explained it to you. You knew what you were supposed to do. But when it came time to do it yourself, something just wasn't clicking.
A loaded question
Sometimes I wish Jesus would just answer the question instead of giving us another question to ponder. Because what exactly belongs to the emperor? And what belongs to God? And how are we supposed to figure out the difference?
The garment of grace
The author of this parable gives God the status of a King, but also gives God the attributes of violent earthly Kings. We know how kings and colonization and destruction work. We know what happens when those with power decide that their authority matters more than the lives of the people they oppress. But that is not the God we know.
The ministry of presence
Francis seemed to understand something that is easy for us to forget: animals are not simply things that belong to us. They are part of the community of creation. Francis called them his brothers and sisters. He understood that we are connected to all of creation—the animals we love, the beasts we never encounter, the earth beneath our feet, the water that nourishes and sustains, and the people sitting beside us. We are even connected to the people and creatures we might not particularly like.
The family of creation
The world was not simply a collection of things for human beings to possess or control. Creation is a community. The sun was his brother. The moon was his sister. The birds were fellow creatures. The earth was not merely something beneath his feet. It was part of the great family of God.
What do you say?
What do you say? It’s a Craigism and it confuses about half of you when I ask you that, so I stopped asking the question. What do you say is like a friendly hello. A variation of how are you? or what’s up? You can say whatever you want. You can say what is on your mind.
Green or white for the Feast of Creation in Christ?
When describing the new feast to our Wednesday study group, someone asked what the appointed liturgical color would be. Oh, I said, wait for the sermon!
Tell it to the church
We are not meant to carry everything alone. When something goes wrong between us, we need community. Not an audience or a jury. Not an angry mob, but a loving community.
Losing everything
Loss is a universal human experience, yet its form takes different shapes throughout our lives. We may grieve the loss of a spouse or child or pet or a beloved one. It may be the loss of a dream or image of ourselves. Losses that result from illness and accidents and the unexpected twists and turns of living. And in these and others, it feels like we are losing everything that matters to us.
Risks of love
The risks of love draw us into relationship. The person who risks their safety standing for justice, that person may find a deeper sense of community in the struggle. The person who allows themself to be vulnerable, to accept correction and try to change, they discover what it truly means to be known and to belong. We don't take up our cross because suffering is good; we take it up because love is good. And often love is tied to heartache, worry, or grief.
Mirror, mirror on the wall
While looking in the mirror, Saint Paul exhorts us to not think too highly of ourselves. To not be conformed to this world, but to be transformed. To use our gifts for the common good. To offer our bodies—our whole selves—as spiritual worship. To be mirrors of divine grace.
Does She Belong?
Though Mary is considered the most famous woman in history, for centuries she has been demoted in most Protestant churches. Mary is for Orthodox and Roman Catholics, after all. Jesus only, Protestants says. In fact, until the late 1970s our Lutheran calendar had commemorations for all the male disciples and for Saint Paul. But no feast days for Mary or Mary Magdalene!
With us in the chaos
God is with us in the chaos. God is with us when the boat is rocking and everything seems out of control. God is with us when we cannot see the shoreline and when the future is uncertain. God is with us when we are afraid and feel alone.
Reaching out
So when I heard stories like this one and was told that faith meant keeping my eyes on Jesus, I sometimes wondered if I was simply a bad Christian. Other people seemed to be able to focus, why couldn't I? I thought maybe I didn't have enough faith or maybe other people were just trying harder than I was.
What are you feeling?
How are you feeling? I really dislike that question, especially when my therapist asks it. I learned pretty quickly in therapy that an acceptable answer is not, “good” or “I’m fine.” Good is not a feeling, he tells me. A better question is what are you feeling, can you name the emotion? “No! I can’t,” I sometimes stubbornly respond. But most of the time I just say, “I don’t know.”
Beyond Measure
How does an I Love Lucy scene about dough and yeast relate to a parable of Jesus in which a woman hides yeast in three measures of flour? The Greek word suggests encryption. What is going on here? In this sermon, Pr. Mueller describes yeast as the ferment that brings about the kingdom of God. Learn some very surprising things about this simple parable.
Wheat and weeds
Scripture readings like this one are understandably difficult for many of us to talk about. We know how quickly conversations about readings like this can become conversations about good people versus bad people, the righteous versus the sinners. Historically, Christianity has used the language of evil to divide, condemn, and justify harm.
Don’t Miss It!
This past week I was in a bit of a funk because inspiration for this sermon was not coming. So, I decided to walk to the lake. Nature can provide inspiration and can be one of our best spiritual guides.