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Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 18—July 31, 2016
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12–14, 2:18–23 | Psalm 49:1–12 | Colossians 3:1–11 | Luke 12:13–21
Summary: Like the writer of Ecclesiastes, we often feel that our lives have no meaning. In today’s Gospel, someone asks Jesus to make things “fair” between himself and his brother, but Jesus warns against greed and tells a parable about a rich man building barns to hold his wealth. Our things too often control our lives and take us away from God and each other. Instead, we should move to an orientation where we long to care for the Earth around us and each other.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 17—July 24, 2016
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Genesis 18:20–32 | Psalm 138 | Luke 11:1–13
Summary: In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray. Many of us tend to think of prayer like ordering something online, and we can feel disappointed when the answer we expect doesn’t come right away. But Jesus tells us that we need to be persistent in our prayers, like the neighbor in the parable. Prayer does not make evil go away; it ensures that we don’t go away when surrounded by evil. Jesus calls us to live so that God’s dominion comes and we become bread for the world. It lets us live the persistent love God has for us.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 16—July 17, 2016
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Genesis 18:1–10a | Psalm 15 | Colossians 1:15–28 | Luke 10:38–42
Summary: Over the years the story of Mary and Martha has driven people to choose up sides and become set in their roles. Mary takes care of hospitality, which is what Jesus told people to do. Martha sits and listens to Jesus, which Jesus also told people to do. Jesus commends Mary, perhaps because she took the role that was unexpected for women at that time. We become so accustomed to our roles that we don’t recognize that we are stuck in a role, but recent events show us that being stuck in roles can lead to disaster. We need to choose “the role less travelled” as Jesus did, choosing suffering over the expect role of the Messiah. We need to look beyond our roles to see God in other human beings so we can embrace God’s love and be poured out for service.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 15—July 10, 2016
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Deuteronomy 30:9–14 | Psalm 25:1–10 | Colossians 1:1–14 | Luke 10:25–37
Summary: This has been a difficult week with killing after killing, retribution, and injustice. These events point up our failure to stand in each other’s shoes. The story of the Good Samaritan is so familiar that we can miss the radical nature of Jesus’ message. The Samaritan showed compassion because he saw the victim of injustice, he drew near, and he healed. We often stay in our own comfortable worlds and do not feel in our guts the plight of our neighbor. Jesus call us to a complete remaking of ourselves so that we too see those in need, draw near, and show mercy by holding them in the dear love of God.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 14—July 3, 2016
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Isaiah 66:10–14 | Psalm 66:1–9 | Luke 10:1–11, 16–20
Summary: Today’s lesson differ greatly in their images of God. Our psalm presents God as a mighty conqueror, and Isaiah as a nursing, nurturing mother. Jesus shuns conquest and sends the disciples out two by two to heal and preach the Good News. God also sends us out to embody the image of God as a nurturing mother. Nothing is more subversive or transformational than God’s healing love.
This sermon was not recorded for technical reasons.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 13—June 26, 2016
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: 1 Kings 19:15–16, 19–21 | Psalm 16 | Galatians 5:1, 13–25 | Luke 9:51–62
Summary: In today’s Gospel, Jesus has determined to go to Jerusalem. People do not receive him, but that does not distract him from his purpose. Some say they want to follow but want to wait, and Jesus tells them not to be distracted. Jesus has set his face towards Jerusalem for the sake of God’s love for humanity. Love is the purpose of our whole life in Christ. When we miss love, we become enslaved to the works of the flesh, and they become our excuse for not loving one another. God’s gift is that we may each set our faces to love so that our desires are transformed by God’s love and we live undistracted lives.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 12—June 19, 2016
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Isaiah 65:1–9 | Psalm 22:19–28 | Galatians 5:1, 13–25 | Luke 8:26–39
Summary: In today’s Gospel, the Geresene demoniac appears suddenly with his strange behavior and amazing strength. He has been ostracized from the community, and Jesus sends his many demons into a heard of pigs. The community is still afraid, but now of Jesus, who returns to the other side of the lake. The man tries to follow, but Jesus sends him back to proclaim God’s healing deeds. As healing came to this man unbidden, God comes into our lives and calls us to put on the garment of Christ and come home. No one is left out or excluded from God’s love. We are all called to put on the pleace, justice, and love of Christ and be at home in Christ.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 11—June 12, 2016
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: 1 Kings 21:1–21a | Psalm 32 | Galatians 2:15–21 | Luke 7:36—8:3
Summary: Today’s texts are about forgiveness and accountability, but how do we talk about last night’s tragedy in Orlando? Just as God forgives both the woman at Jesus’ feet and Simon, the judgemental host in the Gospel, God pours out forgiveness on all the world. We find Simon’s comeupance delicous, but that delight sets the stage for a world where beautiful people are discarded. As we live out our own forgivenss, may we see the beauty in broken things and broken people and find forgiveness for those who seem unforgiveable.
Time after Pentcost • Lectionary 10—June 5, 2016
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: 1 Kings 17:17–24 | Psalm 30 | Galatians 1:11–24 | Luke 7:11–17
Time after Pentcost • Lectionary 9—May 29, 2016
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: 1 Kings 8:22–23, 41–43 | Psalm 96:1–9 | Galatians 1:1–12 | Luke 7:1–10
Holy Trinity—May 22, 2016
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Proverbs 8:1–4, 22–31 | Psalm 8 | Romans 5:1–5 | John 16:12–15
Summary: On this Trinity Sunday, the reading from Romans helps us think of the second person of the Trinity, whom we often connect with justification. Too often we think of justifying ourselves by balancing out the naughty things we do with the nice ones. Romans makes it clear that justification is God’s doing and not our own. God fills us with God’s love so that we can pour out that love in the world. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s not always confortable, but it fills us up.