Puddleglum Stomping

Don't Wanna

2012-01-25T16:19:00.003-05:00

Reading: Jonah 3:1-4:11

It's been a while since I preached on the book of Jonah, which is a shame. It's a great book. This week we looked at the second half of the book, which shows us that the real focus of the story is Jonah and how he responds to God. His response is unfortunately immature, as is the case for many of us...

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on January 22, 2012 at PLWC.

A Beautiful Mess

2012-01-17T11:47:00.002-05:00

Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-10; Romans 12:3-8

This week's sermon is a little out of the ordinary since I preached it as part of a pulpit exchange with Pocono Lake United Methodist Church. This is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and so we decided to switch preachers for one Sunday in recognition of our unity in Christ. I'm afraid I therefore don't have the recording, but if I gain access to it I'll post it later.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

Preached on January 15, 2012 at Pocono Lake United Methodist Church.

What Time Means

2012-01-11T13:32:00.003-05:00

Reading: Leviticus 23:1-14; Romans 14:1-18

And suddenly it's 2012. Not sure how that happened. This is our first sermon for the year, and like many other people in this season, I had time on the brain. What is our time for, though? Time does have a purpose in the kingdom of God, and time is heading in a direction.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on January 8, 2012 at PLWC.

We Have a Savior!

2012-01-06T15:56:00.002-05:00

Reading: Luke 1:46-55, 67-79

Sorry for the lack of posting recently; Carey and I were on vacation over New Year's. I still owe a Christmas sermon, though, so here it is. This is the conclusion to our Lamentations: We Need a Savior series. I should note that this sermon was actually preached in two parts during our Christmas Day worship service, so there's a break in there when Carey reads Mary's song (about eight and a half minutes in).

Click here to view a manuscript for this sermon (.pdf).
Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on December 25, 2011 at PLWC.

Two Sermons: "Lord, Save Us From Our Exile!" and "Lord, Save Us From Our Excess!"

2011-12-23T13:53:00.000-05:00

It's a sign of how busy this season gets for pastors that I didn't get to post my 12/11 sermon last week, so this week I'm posting the last two sermons in our Advent series focusing on Lamentations. Also note that I'm including the Advent Wreath readings for these two weeks; they give us a message of hope after the sermon points out our need for a savior.

"Lord, Save Us From Our Exile!"
Reading: Lamentations 3:1-24; Isaiah 9:1-7
Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
Click here to download a recording of this sermon.
Click here to view the Advent reading accompanying this sermon (.pdf).
Preached on December 11, 2011 at PLWC.

"Lord, Save Us From Our Excess!"
Reading: Lamentations 4:1-22, 5:19-22; Isaiah 60:1-5, 10-11
Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
Click here to download a recording of this sermon.
Click here to view the Advent reading accompanying this sermon (.pdf).
Preached on December 18, 2011 at PLWC.

Another response to Dr. Jim Garlow, this time regarding Newt Gingrich. Sigh.

2011-12-20T14:59:00.000-05:00

It is not my intent to start a feud with Dr. Garlow. As I said the last time I responded to his statements, he is my brother in Christ and I embrace him as such. I have no personal dislike for him, and in fact I've never met him. And normally I try to avoid getting too political in this forum unless it's required by a sermon; there are plenty of other better (and worse) sources for political discourse these days. However, Dr. Garlow is a very public figure in both the secular media/political world and the Wesleyan Church, so his statements have a pretty direct impact on my little corner of the church. Specifically, he has come to articulate a political and theological position which, while it is hardly unique these days, is the exact opposite direction from the one I hope the Wesleyan Church will take. There are no shortage of churches making sacrifices at the altar of American 21st-century conservatism, but it is my fervent prayer that the Wesleyan Church will not join them any more than it already has. Our unique theological tradition puts us in a position to offer the world a desperately needed alternative to the civil religion championed by most Republicans on the national stage, and I hope that my denomination will choose this alternative rather than the course chosen by Dr. Garlow.

In case I have not been clear enough: the theology put forward by Dr. Garlow in his recent letter regarding his support of Newt Gingrich is, I believe, a direct threat to the work of the kingdom of God. This is not simply a difference of opinion, this is a matter that strikes at the heart of the gospel.

Dr. Garlow's letter is intended to articulate a defense of his endorsement of Newt Gingrich as a presidential candidate, but it is not actually Newt Gingrich that I intend to discuss. Dr. Garlow is entitled to vote for whatever candidate he chooses. The beauty of the American voting system is that you get to vote for your candidate and I get to vote for mine, and we're each entitled to our politics. I hope that more people will vote for someone other than Gingrich than will vote for him, and clearly Dr. Garlow hopes the opposite. That's fine. The problem comes in how Dr. Garlow defends his choice: he rests on a dangerous, flawed, unbiblical ecclesiology (that is, theology of the church), an old and toxic lie that threatens to unravel the church in the United States.

Since the problem lies in the theology underlying Dr. Garlow's position rather than the specific points he makes, I will respond to only a couple of points from the letter that illustrate the theology itself.

The church and power

First, during a section in which Dr. Garlow discusses Mr. Gingrich's conversion to Catholicism:

But those reasons are not the most compelling reasons for his conversion, in my opinion. His conversion to the Catholic Church is based on his love of the “church militant,” to the fact that the church of the Middle Ages “got it.” They knew the enemies of the faith, and they went on the offensive. He sees – as did the church of the Middle Ages – that the enemies of the church, both then and now, was and is radical Islam. Islamicists threaten the entire globe. When he reads history, he sees a church that was willing to confront the most terrifying force of the time. That compels him, and well it should.

Mr. Gingrich is right when he sees the dual dangers of radical secularism and radical Islam. Few seem to grasp it. But he does. And so should the American church. The one church that seemed to “get it” (at least as it related to Islam) was the church of the Middle Ages.

He would never defend the excesses or sinful aspects of the Middle Age Church. Nor would I. For example, I would not defend the brutalities of the Crusades. Those are wrong.

Yet, I refuse to fall into the politically correct, historical revisionism that fails to see that Christians in the Middle Ages were forced to defend themselves against the onslaughts of Islam that came to kill in the name of Allah. And in that sense, there is a direct “connecting of the dots” that can be made between Christians fighting for their lives then, and those who do not want to succumb to radical Islamicists today.

I confess that I have never before seen a Protestant claim that the church of the Middle Ages was an example for us today of a time when we "got it." Yes, there are certainly many examples of the church serving as the witness to the kingdom of God during that time, and there are many examples of saints and communities of faith honoring Jesus Christ. But the church of the Middle Ages was institutionally corrupt in its compromises with the governments of Europe. It had appropriated power for itself in a way that was entirely contradictory to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Reformation happened for lots of reasons, but most of them came down to that issue of power.

I find it interesting that Dr. Garlow is politically correct enough to distance himself from the Crusades, yet the Crusades are absolutely critical to understanding how the church operated in that time period. You cannot claim that the church "got it" while rejecting its use of violence. The violence was a necessary result of the model the church accepted. The church had so compromised with the temporal powers in the world that she saw herself as one of them: the princes of Europe were blessed by the pope, the church held vast tracts of property, and it was assumed that God had chosen to act through the political-spiritual entity of the institution in Rome. The result was that a threat to the church was a threat to the state and vice versa, and the church thought it was appropriate to use the sword of the state to deal with those threats. This is why it was acceptable, in their eyes, to fight the Crusades, as well as burn dissidents at the stake.

Almost without exception, bad things have happened as a result of the church making an alliance with the state (or segments of the political establishment). Either the state begins using religious language to justify atrocities committed against an unwanted minority or large parts of the church are led astray from their genuine witness of Christ (as is happening and has happened in the United States). When the church begins to think that it can advance the agenda of the kingdom by wielding political power, the witness of Christ will inevitably be damaged.

This is why the Bible is almost universally suspicious of temporal governments. There are a few exceptions, but they are noteworthy only as exceptions. More often, the kingdom of God works against or in spite of human governments and wisdom. The judges were seen as ineffective at preventing "everyone doing what was right in their own eyes," the prophets regularly criticized the corruption of the monarchy, Jesus was opposed and executed by the corrupt powers-that-be, the Apostles expected persecution at the hands of the government, and John the Revelator saw governments as being in league with the Beast. When the people were saved through governments, it was because God was fighting to save them.

The compromise of the church with Republican politics that Dr. Garlow advocates is directly contradictory to the kingdom of God, in other words. The church of Jesus Christ does not go on the offensive against her enemies, as Dr. Garlow says, because Jesus explicitly forbade this:

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:27-31)

There's also this:

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:25-28)

In other words, for the church to be a faithful witness to the kingdom of God, she must explicitly reject the power of coercion as Jesus did. If the church thinks she can wield political power as she did during the Middle Ages (and as Dr. Garlow advocates today), she will be an embarrassment to her Lord.

American Exceptionalism

Here's a second quote that illustrates Dr. Garlow's toxic ecclesiology, when he is listing the qualities he sees in Mr. Gingrich:

A superb grasp of the correct definition of American Exceptionalism. In short, there are nearly 200 nations with constitutions. A few of them mention God in the preamble. Only one nation has sacred documents that specifically state that our rights are given “by their (that is, our) Creator” (Declaration of Independence) to “We The People” (opening large font in the US Constitution) with us as “the People” temporarily loaning the power to elected officials. That is, based on all the constitutions of the other nations of the world, an “exception,” thus the appropriate phrase “American Exceptionalism.” Mr. Gingrich is able to articulate this considerably better than any elected official I have ever heard.

Let me be clear: no minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ should ever advocate American Exceptionalism. This view is not only historically and logically absurd, it is also repugnant to the gospel.

It is absurd because it is meaningless and patently untrue. What does it even mean? What does it imply about our history? Is American Exceptionalism suggesting that this socio-political entity is somehow favored by history? Because many empires throughout history have been wealthy and powerful. Is it suggesting that we are morally superior to other nations? Shall I list the atrocities in our history? Two will do, I think: remember that this nation was born through the systematic extermination of one people (First Nations) and the brutal enslavement of another (Africans). I need not mention the fact that we currently ignore our own supposedly sacrosanct principles at Guantanamo Bay.

It is also repugnant to the gospel to suggest that this nation is somehow accorded a higher status spiritually because of our founding documents. God does not favor the United States over other nations; to suggest otherwise is verging on blasphemy. The Apostle Paul had, shall we say, some strong words to say on the subject: the Epistle to the Galatians is written against those who would insist that certain groups are more "in" the kingdom than others. Ephesians and Philemon (and others) very clearly lay out the theology that all peoples are offered the opportunity to become co-heirs with Christ in Christ; God is building a new people out of all the nations founded on Jesus. No nation has privileged status, and Paul shouts that those who disagree with him should perform *ahem* radical surgery.

The fact that we have included some platitudes about God in our documents is as meaningless as insisting that the clerk at the grocery wish you a Merry Christmas. It does nothing to reflect or witness to the kingdom of God. Is there anything in our Constitution or Declaration of Independence that uniquely references the Sermon on the Mount? And these Republican candidates who proclaim their righteousness from the street corners by going to prayer conventions and reciting the line, "Jesus is my personal Lord and savior:" can they articulate how the Beatitudes will inform their public policy?

Dr. Garlow says this at one point: "We are in a war, a war that will determine whether America, as she was conceived, will survive." And why, exactly, should this concern the church? America as a political entity in no way overlaps with the kingdom of God. I certainly appreciate the privileges of American citizenship, but that citizenship does not dictate the terms of my citizenship in Christ's kingdom. The work of God will not be any more hindered by the collapse of America than it has been by the collapse of any other empire. If we are in Christ, we are citizens of His kingdom. All other kingdoms pass away.

What are the main things?

Dr. Garlow writes about many other things, most of which fall predictably in line with the platform of the Republican party. The three issues that seem foremost in his letter are gay marriage, abortion, and fiscal conservatism. These are indeed serious issues that need to be handled carefully, but I am confused at what biblical justification Dr. Garlow uses to single out these particular issues. I would wager that the Bible has at least as much to say about the evils of greed as it does in favor of personal industry and fiscal responsibility; in fact the Bible frequently assumes that the rich have gained their wealth on the backs of the poor. And I'm pretty sure that the Bible has far more to say about taking care of the poor than it does about the evils of homosexuality. And I know that the biblical instruction is to do good in response to evil and fight using only the armor of God; the weapons of the world are forbidden us. It is unacceptable to focus on those parts of the Bible that convict other people but agree with my politics while ignoring the clear commands of Christ that convict me, too.

If I have said some harsh things, it is out of love for the church of Christ and zeal for her future. I bear no ill will for Dr. Garlow, and I know that God has done many great things through him. I hope, however, that he will reevaluate his understanding of the church's role in the world to bring it more in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Lord, Save Us From Our Enemy!

2011-12-07T10:49:00.001-05:00

Reading: Lamentations 2; Isaiah 40:1-11

This is the second sermon in our Advent series using the book of Lamentations to call us to examine our need for a savior. I for one find it a little shocking how Jeremiah speaks of God as the people's enemy in Lamentations 2, but it's certainly a powerful statement on the effects of sin in our lives.

Also, note that I've added a link below for the Advent reading that accompanies this sermon.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
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Click here to view the Advent reading accompanying this sermon (.pdf).

Preached on December 4, 2011 at PLWC.

Two sermons: "Healing We Don't Deserve" and "Lord, Save Us From Our Desolation!"

2011-11-30T14:58:00.001-05:00

I'm posting two sermons here since I didn't post anything during the week of Thanksgiving. We'll start with the oldest first, the sermon for Christ the King Sunday which concluded our series on healing. One of the most potent demonstrations of the Lordship of Jesus Christ is found in this shocking call to love our enemies.

Reading: Genesis 16:1-13; Luke 6:17-38
Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
Click here to download a recording of this sermon.
Preached on November 20, 2011 at PLWC.

This first week of Advent begins a new and somewhat unconventional series for us. Advent is a season of expectation and preparation, and so this year we'll be drawing our theme from the book of Lamentations, in which the people of Israel lament the destruction and exile that resulted from their sin. Their need for a savior was literally right in front of their faces, and so we'll be entering ourselves into their story during Advent to recognize our own sin and need for a savior. Note that each sermon during this series will be accompanied by an Advent reading; the sermon calls us to repentance and confronts us with our sin, while the Advent reading proclaims the promise of a coming savior.

Reading: Lamentations 1, Isaiah 54:1-10
Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
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Click here to view the Advent reading accompanying this sermon (.pdf).
Preached on November 27, 2011 at PLWC.

Healing Community

2011-11-17T08:38:00.001-05:00

Reading: Numbers 21:4-9; Luke 8:26-39; Acts 5:1-11

This is the third sermon in our series leading up to Christ the King Sunday. We've been looking at the ways healing reveals the Lordship of Christ, and in our culture of individualism we tend to ignore the impact healing has on our communities.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
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Preached on November 13, 2011 at PLWC.

Not Ashamed of the Gospel

2011-11-09T14:06:00.004-05:00

Reading: John 4:1-42; Romans 3:10-26

This is the second sermon in our "With Healing In Its Wings" series focused on the Lordship of Christ as demonstrated through healing. This week we saw the impact that Christ can have as He heals us of our shame.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
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Preached on November 6, 2011 at PLWC.

With Healing In Its Wings

2011-11-02T13:12:00.001-04:00

Reading: Malachi 3:13-4:3; Mark 8:22-26, 10:46-52

This week is the start of our series focused on healing. We're approaching Christ the King Sunday, and throughout the Bible healing is associated with the Lordship of God. We'll be looking at a variety of types of healing in the next few weeks, but this time we started with the obvious: physical healing.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
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Preached on October 30, 2011 at PLWC.

Seeing Forward

2011-10-26T13:25:00.002-04:00

Reading: Revelation 19:1-10; Luke 22:7-30

This was sort of a concluding sermon for our Where Are We Going? series. We started the series by focusing on worship, so it was only appropriate that we should finish with worship by celebrating the Lord's Supper together, especially since the Lord's Supper has so many parallels with the Marriage Supper of the Lamb at the conclusion of history.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
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Preached on October 23, 2011 at PLWC.

Where Are We Going? Home

2011-10-19T15:18:00.001-04:00

Reading: Ezekiel 47:1-12, 48:35b; Revelation 21:1-5, 22-22:7

This is the fourth sermon in our Where Are We Going? series dealing with the revelation of the future in the books of Ezekiel and Revelation. We could of course be spending a lot more time dealing with the details in these books, but we've contented ourselves with looking at the major themes instead. Our focus this week is on heaven, or probably more accurately, home.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
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Preached on October 16, 2011 at PLWC.

Where Are We Going? To Judgment

2011-10-12T14:14:00.000-04:00

Reading: Ezekiel 2:1-3:4; Revelation 20:7-15

This is the third sermon in our Where Are We Going? series, exploring the future according to the books of Ezekiel and Revelation. Judgment factors heavily into these books (and the Bible as a whole), so what does the coming judgment tell us about what we should do with ourselves in the meantime?

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
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Preached on October 9, 2011 at PLWC.

Where Are We Going? To Battle

2011-10-05T12:45:00.003-04:00

Reading: Ezekiel 38:1-6, 14-16; Revelation 19:11-21

This is the second sermon in our "Where Are We Going?" series focused on the books of Ezekiel and Revelation. The struggle between God and the allied forces of darkness is certainly one of the major themes in apocalyptic works like these, and we can't ignore that reality in the world. We do, however, need to make sure that we're clear on what this battle is like.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).
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Preached on October 2, 2011 at PLWC.

Where Are We Going? To Worship

2011-09-29T12:27:00.003-04:00

Reading: Ezekiel 43:1-12; Revelation 1:9-19, 4:1-11

This week begins a brief series focused on the future as revealed through the Bible. What does God want us to know about where we're heading, and how does that influence us today?

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

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Preached on September 25, 2011 at PLWC.

The Greatest Love

2011-09-21T11:19:00.002-04:00

Reading: John 15:1-17

We finished off our One on One series by returning to the verse that has anchored us throughout. What is this greatest love, and how can we know it?

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

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Preached on September 18, 2011 at PLWC.

One on One: The Pain of Impact

2011-09-15T09:44:00.002-04:00

Reading: Jeremiah 36:1-4, 20-32; John 15:18-27

This is the last sermon in preparation for our challenge to invite our friends and family to join us in worship on Sunday the 18th. The gospel calls us to a tension between making an eternal impact and accepting the sacrifice that often comes with faithfulness to the call.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

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Preached on September 11, 2011 at PLWC.

One on One: The Impact of Faithfulness

2011-09-05T11:36:00.004-04:00

Reading: 1 Samuel 20:16-42

Okay, let's try not getting so far behind this time. This week continues our "One on One" series by reminding us of the eternal impact we can have through our faithful friendships.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

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Preached on September 4, 2011 at PLWC.

Lots of sermons...sorry.

2011-09-01T11:03:00.003-04:00

Yikes. It's been a busy summer. The further I got behind, the harder it was to catch up, so now I have to post a whole mess of sermons. What's the collective noun for a group of sermons? A pulpit of sermons, maybe? A congregation of sermons? I'm posting a denomination of sermons today. Sorry.

"Leave It Behind"

Preached on July 10, 2011 at PLWC.

Reading: Acts 14:1-20

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

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"Is Hope Worth It?"

Preached on July 24, 2011 at PLWC.

Reading: Acts 16:6-40

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

"Trash Wanted"

Preached on August 7, 2011 at PLWC.

Reading: Acts 17:16-34

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

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"Words Worth Speaking"

Preached on August 14, 2011 at PLWC.

Reading: Acts 28:11-31; Philippians 1:12-30

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

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"One on One: Impacting Family"

Preached on August 21, 2011 at PLWC.

Reading: 2 Chronicles 33:1-20

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

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Unexpected Freedom

2011-07-06T11:40:00.003-04:00

Reading: Acts 10:1-48

The weekend of the Fourth of July is always a tricky time to preach. It's a significant holiday, but it's definitely not a Christian holiday. How do we acknowledge it without sanctifying it? In this case, we took a look at the biblical view of freedom as demonstrated in the book of Acts.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

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Preached on July 3, 2011 at PLWC.

The Language of the Scattered

2011-06-28T12:17:00.002-04:00

Reading: Genesis 11:1-9; Acts 2:14-41

It seems appropriate to spend some time in the book of Acts in these weeks after Pentecost. To get us started, we looked at Peter's Pentecost sermon.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

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Preached on June 26, 2011 at PLWC.

Before and After: The Gift of God

2011-06-14T10:05:00.003-04:00

Reading: Exodus 3:11-15; John 1:9-14, 16:7-15; Acts 2:1-4

This is the last sermon in our Before and After series. We celebrated Pentecost with the Lord's Supper, which might not seem like an obvious choice, but the work of Jesus and the work of the Spirit are inseparable.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on June 12, 2011 at PLWC.

Before and After: Conflict

2011-06-07T11:46:00.002-04:00

Reading: Matthew 18:15-35; 1 Corinthians 6:1-11

This is our last sermon in the Before and After series before Pentecost, and our focus was on conflict. Conflict is a fact of being human, but our response to conflict should be characteristically Christian.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

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Preached on June 5, 2011 at PLWC.

Before and After: God and Country

2011-06-03T10:20:00.003-04:00

Reading: Romans 13:1-7; Revelation 19:11-21

Our fifth sermon in the Before and After series tries to strike a delicate balance on the issues relating to God and country. Lots of important issues get impacted by our view of this relationship, and unfortunately few of them are easy to navigate...

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

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Preached on May 29, 2011 at PLWC.

Before and After: The Future

2011-05-24T11:31:00.002-04:00

Reading: Ezekiel 40:1-4, 48:29-35; Revelation 5:1-14

This is the fourth sermon in our Before and After series, this time looking at how Christians view the future. It's something we tend to get wrong from time to time...

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

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Preached on May 22, 2011 at PLWC.

Before and After: Stuff

2011-05-19T14:25:00.003-04:00

Reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-12; Luke 6:17-49

This, the third sermon in our Before and After series, takes a look at how we ought to use our stuff if we're going to be people who are living after Easter.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

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Preached on May 15, 2011 at PLWC.

Before and After: Personhood

2011-05-11T09:53:00.001-04:00

Reading: Joel 2:11-32; John 20:1-18

This week's sermon was a shot across the bow — or maybe a shot right at — those who teach complementarian theology in the church. Complementarianism, if you're not familiar with it, is essentially the teaching that women were designed by God to submit to men, and therefore they are naturally excluded from leadership in ministry. This is a step backwards, folks. It has nothing to do with the good news of Jesus Christ.

I've never focused exclusively on the topic of women in ministry from the pulpit, though I have addressed it, so this was a fun sermon for me to preach. I find it incredibly frustrating that some of the points in this sermon even have to be made; the more I think about the infection of complementarianism in the church the more annoyed I get, especially when Wesleyan pastors subscribe to it. This issue should have been settled centuries ago. Repent and believe in the gospel, for crying out loud.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on May 8, 2011 at PLWC.

Before and After: Behaving After Easter

2011-05-04T13:29:00.004-04:00

Reading: John 9:1-41

We've started a new series for Eastertide, the season between Easter and Pentecost. Our theme will be the contrast between life before and life after Easter; this week we looked at the basic question of morality.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

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Preached on May 1, 2011 at PLWC.

When the Chips are Down

2011-04-29T15:45:00.000-04:00

Following is a quote from Alan Stuart-Smyth, who was serving as a UN peacekeeper in the Congo when he interrupted two men in the middle of perpetrating truly horrific atrocities. The men went for their weapons, and so he shot them both.

"I had turned 19 only two days previous, and still suffered from the native upbringing of a good Christian family. I lost a lot of that upbringing at Okonda. There was no honor here, no virtue. The standards of behavior taught in the homes, churches, and schools of America had no place in battle. They were mythical concepts good only for the raising of children, to be cast aside forever from this moment on. No, I didn't feel guilt, shame, or remorse at killing my fellow man — I felt pride!"

—Alan Stuart-Smyth, "Congo Horror," quoted by David Grossman in On Killing, p.222

There's a lot in his account worth discussing, but one of the things that grips me is that the gospel (at least as it had been taught to him) had nothing relevant to say about the realities of war, atrocity, and killing. He abandoned what religion had been given to him because it was simply inadequate. What bothers me is that I suspect he was perfectly justified in doing so.

The gospel I hear preached (and struggle to balance in my own preaching) is usually a gospel of conservative middle class values and struggles focused on the existential (Shackled by a heavy burden? Jesus can help!), the practical (Got kids who won't come to church? Here are ten Proverbs that will help!), American-conservative-civil-religionist values (Homosexuals/liberals/illegals got you down? Here are three Bible verses that show how they're going to hell!), or surface compassion (Feel bad about your materialistic lifestyle? Send some money to Africa and feel better!). But do we have anything worth saying to Alan Stuart-Smyth?

At best, the gospel I hear preached is powerful enough to heal a broken marriage, set a person free from an addiction, and send some money to a third-world country to build a well. Powerful stuff, yes. But most of us — including most preachers, I fear — simply do not have a theology that can handle issues of atrocity and war with anything other than bumper-sticker platitudes that only end up insulting everyone concerned.

The reality is that the gospel of Jesus Christ does have an answer to Alan Stuart-Smyth. Most of us have just never heard it.

Holy Week Sermons: "How Did We Come to This?" and "There is Joy Here"

2011-04-26T10:52:00.005-04:00

I preached two sermons last week, since we had the privilege of hosting the churches of the ecumenical council for this year's Good Friday service. The first is, of course, the Good Friday sermon, followed by our Easter sermon.

"How Did We Come to This?"

Preached on Friday, April 22 at the Ecumenical Good Friday service at PLWC.

Reading: John 18-19

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

"There is Joy Here"

Preached on Sunday, April 24 at PWLC.

Reading: Luke 24:1-35

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Bearing the Cross: The Way to Glory

2011-04-20T11:32:00.002-04:00

Reading: Matthew 21:1-11; Philippians 2:1-11

Our final sermon in the Bearing the Cross series looks at Philippians 2, in which the cross stands at the lowest point of Christ's self-emptying, right before He is exalted by His Father. It also helps us understand some of what was going on on Palm Sunday, when Jesus was hailed by the crowds and seemed ready to put His fame to work, only to withdraw suddenly from the spotlight.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on April 17, 2011 at PLWC.

Bearing the Cross: Everybody's Doing It

2011-04-11T15:41:00.004-04:00

Reading: Hebrews 11:1-12:3

Our fifth sermon in this Bearing the Cross series takes us to the cross in Hebrews, where the cross stands as the climax of the history of God's people trusting in God's faithfulness in spite of appearances. The heroes of the faith give us plenty of examples of what it means to bear the cross.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on April 10, 2011 at PLWC.

Bearing the Cross: Being and Doing

2011-04-06T13:50:00.003-04:00

Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22; Colossians 2:6-3:4

Our fourth sermon in the Bearing the Cross series takes a look at how Paul uses the cross in Ephesians and Colossians. Whereas Lent is generally introspective and focused on repentance, it is also true that the cross is a sign of God's cosmic victory.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on April 3, 2011 at PLWC.

Bearing the Cross: Provocation

2011-03-29T11:27:00.004-04:00

Reading: Acts 5:27-42; 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:10

For the third sermon in our Bearing the Cross series, our focus was on how the cross factors into the proclamation of the early Christians in Acts and 1 Corinthians. They weren't shy about how they talked about the cross: in fact, the cross was both central and provocative.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on March 27, 2011 at PLWC.

Bearing the Cross: Freedom from Slavery

2011-03-22T10:56:00.005-04:00

Reading: Galatians 5:1-6:18 (or just read all of Galatians)

Our second sermon in Bearing the Cross series looks at how the cross factors into Paul's instructions to the church at Galatia.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf)

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on March 20, 2011 at PLWC.

Bearing the Cross

2011-03-16T11:52:00.003-04:00

Reading: Luke 14:25-35; Matthew 16:13-28

We're starting a new series for Lent focusing on Bearing the Cross. It seemed logical to start by looking at what Jesus had to say on the matter.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on March 13, 2011 at PLWC.

Moments of Glory

2011-03-09T10:28:00.003-05:00

Reading: Matthew 17:1-9; 2 Peter 1:16-21

The lectionary for this year places the story of the Transfiguration right before the start of Lent, which is appropriate for a number of reasons, as we explored in this week's sermon. I should note that I haven't been happy with how Google Documents has been handling the .doc versions of the sermons I've been uploading recently, so this week I'm going to see how it handles a .pdf version instead. Let me know if it gives you any trouble and I'll go back to the .doc version.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon (.pdf).

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on March 6, 2011 at PLWC.

Added a new (old) sermon recording

2011-03-02T15:42:00.002-05:00

Carey and I were out of town unexpectedly for Sunday, February 20, so I recorded a video of myself preaching my sermon titled "Commandos, Spies, and Secret Missions" and used that video for the sermon during the worship service on that Sunday. The manuscript for that sermon has been posted since I first preached it in August of 2008, but I've now added a link in that post so you can download the recording.

Remember the Mission

2011-03-02T15:34:00.004-05:00

Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:17-26

We celebrated communion together last Sunday, so our sermon was centered on that. The Lord's Supper is incredibly multi-faceted, but this time we focused on how it involves our act of commitment.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon (minus the first few seconds, though I'm not sure why).

Preached on February 27, 2011 at PLWC.

No More Normal: Pray

2011-02-08T20:46:00.000-05:00

Reading: Psalm 51

We ended our "No More Normal" series with a focus on prayer culminating in a week of prayer. To put it succinctly, prayer is powerful, and we're not likely to get out of the rut without making that connection to God through prayer.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on February 6, 2011 at PLWC.

No More Normal: Connect

2011-02-04T15:20:00.002-05:00

Reading: Acts 2:1-4, 42-47; 1 Timothy 6:11-21

Sorry for the late posting of this sermon; it's been a busy week. Our focus for last Sunday was on the need for building genuinely loving connections within the body of Christ.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon. Once again, the file is too large for Google's online virus scanner, so you'll get an error when you try to download it at first. Just click on "Download anyway" when you get the error. Apparently my sermons have been too long recently...

Preached on January 30, 2011 at PLWC

No More Normal: Serve

2011-01-26T12:44:00.004-05:00

Reading: John 13:31-35; Luke 10:1-24

Here we go with more meddling. Our focus this week was on the need not only for service, but also for service done with a servant's heart. In other words, do we really love our neighbors?

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon. Once again, the file is too large for the online virus scanner to work, so you'll get an error message when you first try to download it. Just click on "Download Anyway" when you get the option.

Preached on January 23, 2011 at PLWC.

No More Normal: Simplify

2011-01-19T15:30:00.003-05:00

Reading: Luke 20:45-21:4; Matthew 19:16-30

There is no sermon for January 9; Carey and I were away due to a conference. This last Sunday, however, we picked up our "No More Normal" series again. Our focus was on counteracting the busy-ness that fills so many of our lives and crowds our focus on Christ.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon. Note that the file is large enough that you'll get a message warning you that Google Docs can't scan it for viruses; just click on 'Download Anyway.' Also note that the audio quality isn't great on this sermon.

Preached on January 16, 2010 at PLWC.

New Year's Resolve

2011-01-03T15:45:00.002-05:00

Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:4-9; Hebrews 3:1-19

This week's sermon is sort of a break in between the two halves of our "No More Normal" series, but it's also sort of preparing us for the second half of that series. Sometimes the temptation is to reflect too much on our past failures and shortcomings when we're entering a new year (and when we're trying to go beyond normal); this time, we wanted to stop and encourage one another for what we're doing well.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon (minus the first few seconds, I'm afraid).

Preached on January 2, 2011 at PLWC.

No More Normal: Victory?

2010-12-22T11:49:00.003-05:00

Reading: Genesis 3:8-15; Isaiah 43:16-44:5

This is the last of our "No More Normal" sermons for this Advent; we'll be picking up the series again in January after a brief break. It seemed appropriate to end this phase of the series by proclaiming the hope of victory, which is all too often not the norm in the Christian life.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on December 19, 2010 at PLWC.

No More Normal: Weak or Strong?

2010-12-14T11:50:00.002-05:00

Reading: Isaiah 52:13-53:12; 1 Corinthians 4:8-16

Once again, we used an un-Christmasy text for our Advent sermon this week. Usually we want to focus on the cute baby in a manger, but this time we looked at the Suffering Servant and what that tells us about our own lives as Christians and as a church.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on December 12, 2010 at PLWC.

No More Normal: Which Spirit?

2010-12-07T20:45:00.005-05:00

Reading: Joel 2:1-2, 12-18, 28-32; Isaiah 11:1-10

This is the second in our "No More Normal" series. This week our focus was on the Holy Spirit's role in Christmas and how if He's involved, things should be anything but normal.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

(Sorry, no recording this week — technical difficulties.*)

* "Technical difficulties" means "I forgot to set the timer to start the recording." Oops.

Preached on December 5, 2010 at PLWC.

No More Normal: Good News?

2010-11-30T10:08:00.004-05:00

Reading: Luke 2:8-20, 4:14-21

This last Sunday, the first Sunday in Advent, began our series called "No More Normal," which might end up asking more questions than it answers. This week we asked how good our news really is.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on November 28, 2010 at PLWC.

Full of Mystery, Full of Meaning

2010-11-22T12:22:00.004-05:00

Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-17

We celebrated communion together yesterday, so our sermon was a brief reflection on the intersection of gratitude, grace, and proclamation of the Lordship of Christ (this was Christ the King Sunday, after all).

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on November 21, 2010 at PLWC.

Pick a Direction

2010-11-09T16:25:00.005-05:00

Reading: Daniel 12:1-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

We finished our brief look at the book of Daniel this week, and if you're finishing Daniel you have to come to terms with the strangeness of apocalypses. The apocalyptic material in the Bible is woefully mistreated by most audiences, but if we can cut through that ridiculousness we can see just how powerful these messages are.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on November 7, 2010 at PLWC.

Strength in Numbers

2010-11-01T20:02:00.002-04:00

Reading: Ephesians 1:11-23; Daniel 7:1-18

We're doing a bit of a mini-series dealing with Daniel, which is fun for me since Daniel is such an odd book. Last week we looked at a couple of the early stories in Daniel; this week we're dealing with some of the material in the middle.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on October 31, 2010 at PLWC.

Gambling on God

2010-10-26T15:45:00.002-04:00

Reading: Daniel 1:1-17; 3:1, 8-18

No sermon for last week, since Carey and I were away on vacation. This week, though, we began looking at a couple of the stories from the beginning of the book of Daniel.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on October 24, 2010 at PLWC.

Nations on the Brink

2010-10-11T11:34:00.004-04:00

Reading: Amos 1:3-15; Isaiah 23:1-12

I got a little bit political this week, but hopefully not too political. At the very least, using the Old Testament "oracles to the nations" as the basis for analyzing our own national politics should be a pretty unique way of handling the issue.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on October 10, 2010 at PLWC.

You're Being Watched

2010-10-05T11:51:00.003-04:00

Reading: 1 Timothy 3:1-4:16

Paul's instructions to Timothy on choosing mature Christians for leadership help us see that maturity in Christ should produce fruit in our lives. That being said, the fact that others should be able to see that fruit shouldn't make us think our goal is to appear perfect in spite of our flaws...

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on October 3, 2010 at PLWC.

The Problem of Evil: Man vs. Wild

2010-09-30T15:56:00.002-04:00

Reading: Job 38:1-21; Revelation 19:11-21

For our last sermon in this series focusing on the problem of evil, we looked at what I think are the really hard cases (and therefore the ones some people simply skip over). How can we claim to serve a loving, powerful God when innocent people die from diseases and natural disasters?

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on September 26, 2010 at PLWC.

The Problem of Evil: The Easy Way Versus The Hard Way

2010-09-21T11:22:00.006-04:00

Reading: 1 Samuel 8:1-22; Matthew 4:1-11

As we continue wrestling with the problem of evil, this week we upped the stakes: our focus was on larger-scale, impersonal evil, the sort of thing that comes from what Paul calls "powers."

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on September 19, 2010 at PLWC.

The (Really) Last Battle

2010-09-17T12:49:00.003-04:00

So I've modified my earlier watercolor illustration for The Last Battle. Here is the original post. I added a tree. I think it's an improvement.

The Last Battle

The Problem of Evil: Snidely Versus Dudley

2010-09-15T13:35:00.003-04:00

Reading: Psalm 73; 1 Peter 4:12-19

We're beginning a brief series looking at the Problem of Evil. This week's focus was on what we might call moral evil, those acts of evil committed on an individual basis. We'll work our way toward the bigger stuff in the next couple of weeks.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.
Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on September 12, 2010 at PLWC.

A Theology of Work

2010-09-07T14:10:00.004-04:00

Reading: Genesis 3:1-19; Amos 8:1-14

Since this last Sunday was Labor Day Sunday, our focus was on the biblical view of work. Also note that I've added a link below to download a recording of the sermon (.mp3 format). I haven't tried this before, so we'll see if it works. Leave me a comment below to let me know how well it worked for you

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.
Click here to download a recording of this sermon.

Preached on September 5, 2010 at PLWC.

A Response to Jim Garlow Regarding Glenn Beck

2010-09-02T16:12:00.001-04:00

If you’re not familiar with him, Jim Garlow is the lead pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church near San Diego, California, one of the largest churches in the Wesleyan denomination. In recent years he was heavily involved in organizing support for Proposition 8 and has begun working with Newt Gingrich on an initiative called “Renewing American Leadership.” Normally I am content to live and let live when it comes to such political matters: if Dr. Garlow wants to involve himself in such things, that is his prerogative. However, on August 25, 2010, Jim Garlow posted a lengthy defense of his alliance with Glenn Beck (originally posted on Facebook, I think; you can read the same thing here), whose Mormon faith needed, shall we say, some explaining.

I should say first of all that I do not necessarily oppose making alliances with non-Christian faiths from time to time. Certainly, we should agree with others and cooperate with them when we can. And I should also say that I fully recognize that not everyone will agree that Mormons are not Christians, since they do, according to their own definition, follow Christ. But Mormons are certainly not orthodox Christians, and that is the rub.

Had Garlow simply argued that it was appropriate to work with Glenn Beck because, in his view, they had similar aims, that would be one thing. But he then crossed the line by arguing that Beck is in fact a Christian who has been saved by Christ. This is much, much too far.

Garlow’s logic is that people who know Beck well insist that he is a Christian, that Beck is able to articulate a theology of atonement, and that since “all of us are missing part of God’s full truth,” logically you do not have to have your doctrine 100% correct in order to get into heaven.

The massive problem in this is that these issues were settled, as far as the church is concerned, centuries ago. The point of the Nicene Creed, for example, was to define some boundaries of orthodox Christian faith. Accept these things, and you’re in the church; reject them, and you’re somewhere else. It’s been that way since the fourth century AD, and it’s not really up for debate any more. And the root of this whole problem is that Mormons explicitly reject the Trinitarian theology of the orthodox creeds. They may call Him Lord, but they don’t call Him God.

There is truth in Garlow’s logic. Certainly, many sincere, saved, even sanctified Christians cannot explain important concepts like atonement or Trinitarian theology, and we still embrace them fully in the church (though I trust they are growing in their understanding). But there is a difference between ignorance and rejection. Ignorance can be easily solved, but rejection places you outside of the embrace of the church. At best, we could say that Glenn Beck’s status as a Christian is uncertain and therefore we should consider his theology dubious. Is it possible to be saved apart from the church? Probably, I suppose, in unusual circumstances. Is it possible to be saved if you’re actively rejecting the church? I wouldn’t bet on those odds, but it’s not up to me. Leave it up to God to decide their status. In our judgments, let us be guided by the long-established creeds of the church instead of the opinions of sources in the know.

I normally try to remain discreet in these sorts of sensitive issues, especially when dealing with leaders in my own denomination. It is in no way my intent to insult Dr. Garlow, my brother in Christ. But these are uncivilized times we live in, and I fear we must take a careful stand lest the church in the United States sell herself to the civil religion of conservative politics. Garlow said that "If this nation collapses in the 2010-2012 time frame, historians will have to report, if they are honest, that America fell because of silent pastors and inactive pews." But since when has the Kingdom of God been tasked with being the guardian of a secular, temporal kingdom of humanity? The fall (or success) of America as a nation is not the concern of Christ's church. On the contrary, if the church in America fails in its mission in the 2010-2012 time frame, I fear it will be because of Christians who are unable to discern the difference between Kingdom values and conservative nationalism. This conflation of conservative civil religion with the church in the United States will do far, far more damage to our cause than any other threat we face. As such, let our judgments be motivated by Kingdom values rather than unholy politics.

Church Words: Consecration

2010-08-31T11:41:00.002-04:00

Reading: Luke 15

This is the last in our "Church Words" series (for now), since we're moving into fall with all its transitions. We celebrated the Lord's Supper this week, so our focus was on the word consecration.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on August 29, 2010 at PLWC.

Two Sermons: "Church Words: Kingdom" and "Church Words: Grace"

2010-08-23T13:49:00.003-04:00

Last week was a busy week, so I apologize for not posting the sermon in a timely fashion. Below are two continuations of our series on church words: "kingdom" and "grace."

"Church Words: Kingdom"
Reading: Mark 10:13-45
Preached on August 15, 2010 at PLWC.
Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

"Church Words: Grace"
Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10; Exodus 34:1-10; Galatians 5:1-26
Preached on August 22, 2010 at PLWC.
Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Church Words: Preaching

2010-08-11T09:49:00.002-04:00

Reading: Romans 10:8-15; Mark 1:1-18; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Our next "church word" is preaching, which is an important word to understand regardless of which side of the pulpit you usually find yourself.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on August 8, 2010 at PLWC.

Church Words: Worship

2010-07-28T11:38:00.002-04:00

Reading: Revelation 4:1-11, 22:1-6

Our "church word" for the week was worship, which is a really, really big word to tackle in a half-hour sermon.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on July 25, 2010 at PLWC.

Church Words: Sin

2010-07-19T15:05:00.001-04:00

Reading: Romans 3:9-26

Our next "church word" is a pretty important one, and one that too many people laugh at: sin.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on July 18, 2010 at PLWC.

Church Words: Creation

2010-07-12T14:07:00.002-04:00

Reading: Psalm 51:10-17; Isaiah 45:8-22

No sermon for the fourth of July; Carey and I were on vacation. Last Sunday we started a series for the summer called "Church Words," focused on exploring some of those words that we use in our discussions of the faith without necessarily taking the time to define our terms. This week's focus was the word "creation."

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on July 11, 2010 at PLWC.

Two Sermons: "The Importance of Family" and "God's Word is Beautiful"

2010-06-28T09:14:00.003-04:00

Last week was our Vacation Bible School at PLWC, which is why I didn't get around to posting a sermon then. The first sermon below was preached on Father's Day, and of course family is a pretty important concept in the Bible (though not really in the way today's "family values" crowd thinks). The second sermon was used in our Sunday worship following VBS, in which we celebrated what God had done in the previous week and remembered the focus on God's word that we had been teaching about all through the week.

"The Importance of Family"
Preached on June 20, 2010 at PLWC.
Reading: Colossians 3:1-17, 4:2-18
Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

"God's Word is Beautiful"
Preached on June 27, 2010 at PLWC.
Reading: Psalm 119
Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Two Sermons: "The Health of God" and "The Presence of God"

2010-06-15T11:10:00.002-04:00

Carey and I were out of town for most of last week, so I didn't get around to posting last week's sermon. We're continuing our focus on the Holy Spirit in both of these sermons in preparation for our week of prayer and our Vacation Bible School.

"The Health of God"
Preached on June 6, 2010 at PLWC.
Reading: Romans 8:18-27; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

"The Presence of God"
Preached on June 13, 2010 at PLWC.
Reading: John 17:1-5; 2 Corinthians 3:4-18
Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

The Power of God

2010-06-01T11:56:00.003-04:00

Reading: Acts 4:23-35; Luke 24:45-49

Our sermon for this week continued our theme of the Holy Spirit and the change he creates, and specifically, we wanted to see the element of power he brings to that change. Hand-wringing and timidity are not part of his work, but neither are we called to be bullies for Jesus.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on May 30, 2010 at PLWC.

The Story of the Church

2010-05-26T13:43:00.003-04:00

Reading: Acts 1:1-11, 2:1-6, 14-21

This week was the last in our series of sermons focusing on specific people changed by an encounter with the resurrected Jesus. We looked at the birth of the church this week (it was Pentecost Sunday, after all), in preparation for a week of prayer we have coming up in June. We want to be people who are changed by our prayer and by the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on May 23, 2010 at PLWC.

The Story of Cleopas and his Companion

2010-05-17T13:14:00.000-04:00

Reading: Luke 24:13-35

We celebrated communion together this week, so it seemed fitting to look at one of the post-resurrection meal stories in the gospels. Our focus was on how Jesus revealed himself through the ordinary things to his companions on the walk to Emmaus.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on May 15, 2010 at PLWC.

The Story of Mary

2010-05-11T16:26:00.000-04:00

Reading: John 2:1-11, 19:19-27

It seems appropriate for Mother's Day to take a look at the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, even though we don't actually have a biblical record of her having any encounters with the risen Christ, as the rest of the people in this sermon series did. There's certainly much more that could be said about Mary, but at the very least, we have to recognize the example she is of the power of humility.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on May 9, 2010 at PLWC.

The Story of Paul

2010-05-04T10:45:00.000-04:00

Reading: Acts 9:1-22; Galatians 2:11-21

We're continuing to see how an encounter with the resurrected Jesus changes people's lives, and our focus for this week was the Apostle Paul. Paul has had such a huge impact on the church and his teachings are so deep that it's difficult to distill his life's story into one sermon. It's worth it, though, because there really aren't many people who have undergone such a powerful change.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on May 2, 2010 at PLWC.

The Story of The Women

2010-04-27T11:40:00.001-04:00

Reading: John 20:1-18

We're continuing to see how the resurrection of Jesus forever changes the lives of the people who encounter him, this time by hearing the story of "The Women," a story of those who had been nameless being given an identity and a place in the kingdom of God.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on April 25, 2010 at PLWC.

The Story of Peter

2010-04-22T11:38:00.000-04:00

Reading: John 18:15-18, 25-27; 21:1-19

We're continuing to look at people in the New Testament who were changed by an encounter with the risen Christ. This week we focused on the story of Peter.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on April 18, 2010 at PLWC.

The Story of Thomas

2010-04-14T11:27:00.000-04:00

Reading: John 14:1-7, 20:19-31

The lectionary text for this week dealt with the famous story of Doubting Thomas, which is certainly appropriate since the original event took place about a week after Easter. Opponents of Christianity (and religion in general) often enjoy taking potshots at us because we are, in their view, figures of authority who want to squelch all independent thought and questions. Maybe a closer look at Thomas can help rehabilitate that particular view, though...

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on April 11, 2010 at PLWC.

Come Awake

2010-04-08T10:15:00.001-04:00

Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20; John 20:1-22

We had a great Easter at Pocono Lake Wesleyan; I hope you did, too. For our worship this year we explored the question of whether humans are meant to slowly decline, year after year, into death, or whether we are meant to become more and more alive and awake as we grow older.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on April 4, 2010 at PLWC.

Choose Your Weapon

2010-03-31T15:25:00.000-04:00

Reading: Luke 19:28-44

No sermon for March 21; our District Superintendent was visiting that week and preached the service. Last Sunday was Palm Sunday, so of course that was our focus. The main contrast in this sermon is between the palm branch and the sword, so I preached the sermon using a palm branch (of course) and a toy reproduction of a Nazgul's sword from the Lord of the Rings. It was a fun one to preach.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on March 28, 2010 at PLWC.

DNA of the Church: Do Justice

2010-03-16T12:19:00.000-04:00

Reading: Micah 6:1-13; Luke 4:14-21

Ah, Glenn Beck. Normally I'm content in my sermons to avoid naming names, but when a popular media figure leaves the realm of his own crackpot theories and becomes an armchair theologian, it gets personal. I had always intended to focus on social justice as part of my DNA of the Church series, so it honestly is a coincidence that I preached on the topic the week after Glenn Beck encouraged people to leave churches that take social justice seriously. He has since backpedaled a bit, which in my mind only bolsters my assumption that the man is simply making stuff up. Must be nice to get paid to do that.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on March 14, 2010 at PLWC.

DNA of the Church: Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

2010-03-02T11:40:00.000-05:00

Reading: Matthew 22:34-40; John 13:34-35; Romans 12:9-21

This is the third sermon in our Lenten series for this year. Continuing our theme of things that are so fundamental to our spiritual life that they're practically part of our DNA, this week we looked at the second part of what Jesus called the greatest commandment: love your neighbor as yourself.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on February 28, 2010 at PLWC.

"The Last Battle" Watercolor

2010-02-25T20:52:00.003-05:00

(Note: There's a slightly newer version of this watercolor here.)

It took me a really long time to get this one done. Seriously. I’m ashamed. I’m using the fact that rocks are really hard to paint as my excuse. And I’m afraid this isn’t a great scan, but you get the idea.

The Last Battle

If you’re familiar with the book, this is the scene when Farsight the Eagle arrives to tell the heroes that the Calormenes have invaded and Narnia is, more or less, dead. It’s very sad.

Theologically, though, it’s also a good illustration of the arrival of a prophetic/apocalyptic word, a shocking pronouncement of the truth that is intended to spur the recipient into some sort of action. Farsight’s message is what allows the heroes of the story to make a decision that eventually leads them to the last battle.

I suppose I should have warned you of spoilers, but it really shouldn't be a surprise that a book titled "The Last Battle" has a last battle in it.

DNA of the Church: Be Holy

2010-02-24T15:08:00.001-05:00

Reading: Leviticus 11:44-45; Matthew 5:48-6:4

We’re continuing our series on the DNA of the church by following up last week with its logical extension: loving God should naturally lead into greater holiness.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on February 21, 2010 at PLWC.

DNA of the Church - Love God

2010-02-16T17:11:00.002-05:00

Reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Matthew 22:34-40

We're continuing our Lenten theme of the DNA of the church with our first proper look at our spiritual DNA, and of course the command to love God is the best place to start.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on February 14, 2010 at PLWC.

More Than Milk

2010-02-10T14:39:00.002-05:00

Reading: Hebrews 5:13-6:12

We're starting our Lenten series a little early this year since we're going to have a couple of weeks of special guest speakers in the middle of Lent proper, and I want to make sure I have enough time to get through this series. This sermon is sort of an introduction to the series, in which we'll be using the illustration of DNA to examine our most basic makeup as Christians.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on February 7, 2010 at PLWC.

Living Through the Prism

2010-01-26T15:17:00.003-05:00

Reading: John 17:11-24

No sermon for January 17 because we had missionaries with us during the morning service. Carey preached during our morning service last Sunday, but we had the honor of hosting the churches of our local ecumenical council for our evening (afternoon, really) service of Christian unity. This sermon is therefore very ecumenical in its flavor and was addressed to the specific churches we had represented at our service.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on January 24, 2010 at PLWC.

New Expectations for the New Year

2010-01-10T15:06:00.002-05:00

Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-15

This week we looked at the flip side of last week's sermon: yes, the people of God should take time to remember what God has done, but we are also essentially forward-looking in our focus. This week's sermons, therefore, was all about our hope for the new year.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on January 10, 2010 at PLWC.

Old Expectations for the New Year

2010-01-05T10:50:00.003-05:00

Reading: Deuteronomy 31:9-13

We're jumping into the future—because 2010 is definitely the future, despite its lack of hover cars—by taking a look at the biblical theme of remembering what God has done for us in the past. Next week we'll be more forward-looking in our expectations.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on January 3, 2010 at PLWC.

God With US

2009-12-22T13:55:00.002-05:00

Reading: Genesis 4:1-16

This week, the week of Christmas, I preached on one of the least Christmasy stories I could think of, mostly because it's the sort of story we've got to understand if we're going to understand Christmas.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on December 20, 2009 at PLWC.

God WITH Us

2009-12-14T16:19:00.002-05:00

Reading: John 1:1-14

We're continuing with our Advent theme for this year: God With Us. This week we focused on the second word to see how God is with us.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on December 13, 2009 at PLWC.

GOD With Us

2009-12-08T11:01:00.004-05:00

Reading: Isaiah 7:1-14; Matthew 1:18-23

No sermon for last week since Carey and I were away visiting family for Thanksgiving. This week, however, we're starting our series for Advent focusing on God With Us, one of the titles given to Jesus.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on December 6, 2009 at PLWC.

Making Sense of the Senseless

2009-11-23T10:48:00.002-05:00

Reading: John 18:33-37; Revelation 1:4b-8

This Sunday was Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday in the Christian calendar, meaning that we end our year by proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the King of all things. We celebrated at PLWC with a communion service.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on November 22, 2009 at PLWC.

The End

2009-11-17T11:45:00.003-05:00

Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9; 2:4-12

1 Peter is one of those books that I keep coming around to because I'm continually intrigued by it. This week we looked at one of Peter's assumptions underlying his message in this book. Since our main focus in on glorifying God, he says, we are free to do a lot of things that might be counter-intuitive otherwise.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on November 15, 2009 at PLWC.

One Thing We Know

2009-11-09T11:32:00.002-05:00

Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28; 2 Peter 3:1-15a

This week's sermon focused on the Parousia, which is a fifty-cent theological term that basically refers to the return of Christ. It's always fun strolling along these tightropes...

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Preached on November 8, 2009 at PLWC.

Two Sermons: "The Word of God For/To the People of God" and "Pass It On"

2009-11-03T12:44:00.004-05:00

We had a special speaker with us on October 27, so I owe you two sermons for the last three Sundays. The first sermon comes from the difficult book of Hebrews and explores the call of Jesus our High Priest, and the second comes out of the wonderful little book of Ruth.

"The Word of God For/To the People of God"
Preached on October 18, 2009 at PLWC.
Reading: Hebrews 4:14-5:10
Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

"Pass It On"
Preached on November 1, 2009 at PLWC.
Reading: Ruth 1:1-18, 4:13-22
Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Also, I've updated our discussion of spiritual gifts to include the gifts we covered during those two weeks: the gifts of faith, discernment, teaching, leadership, and miracles. Click here to view Reversal: Spiritual Gifts Focus, or click here to read the blog post introducing it.

The Beating Heart

2009-10-14T15:28:00.003-04:00

Reading: Psalm 25; Psalm 26

I was out backpacking last week, so this sermon is actually a couple of Sundays old. We followed up our journey through the book of James with a sermon rooted in the Psalms because worship is what we were made for, and it is the beating heart of our life in Christ.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Also, I've updated our discussion of spiritual gifts to include the gift we covered this week: the gift of healing. Click here to view Reversal: Spiritual Gifts Focus, or click here to read the blog post introducing it.

Preached on October 4, 2009 at PLWC.

Strange Wisdom

2009-09-29T20:26:00.002-04:00

Reading: Mark 2:1-12; James 5:13-20

This week's sermon is our last on the book of James for now. If you're familiar with James you'll know that the last section includes the verses about prayer and anointing for healing, so our sermon was focused on leading into a service of prayer and healing. That in turn led into a service of communion, so the sermon for this week looks a little disjointed because it was designed for this particular service.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Preached on September 27, 2009 at PLWC.

The Ancient Science

2009-09-23T15:03:00.003-04:00

Reading: Mark 9:30-37; James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

We've come to our fourth and next-to-last sermon on the book of James. This week we are seeing a reminder of the contrast between wisdom and folly. There really are two very different paths we can walk, and either one requires a choice.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Also, I've updated our discussion of spiritual gifts to include the gifts we covered this week: the gift of a word of wisdom and a word of knowledge. Click here to view Reversal: Spiritual Gifts Focus, or click here to read the blog post introducing it.

Preached on September 20, 2009 at PLWC.

From Assyria to Rome

2009-09-18T20:16:00.000-04:00

We recently finished studying the book of Daniel in our Sunday evening Bible study. Daniel is a book that covers a lot of history in a roundabout way, and much of that history is probably unknown to a lot of Christians. The Old Testament story ends with the Jews returning from exile under Persian rule, but then when you get to the New Testament the Romans are in charge. Daniel's prophecies have a lot to do with that in-between time, a period of about four centuries I've often heard called the "400 Years of Silence," which is a completely ridiculous name. A lot happened in those 400 years, and there's a growing realization these days that many of the events in those 400 years were direct causes for what the world was like in Jesus' time.

In other words, those centuries we neatly skip over were very important, almost as though we were to study American history and just skip the period of 1850-1875.

At any rate, I put together a very general timeline as a visual aid to help people see some of the flow of the events leading up to and following the Babylonian exile. No, I didn't get every single important date on there, and yes, some scholars might argue that some dates should be nudged a year or two one way or the other, but the point is to give people a general idea of how things happened, broadly speaking, during those very important years.

Click here to view this timeline (.pdf).

Something We Already Know

2009-09-18T11:30:00.004-04:00

Reading: Proverbs 8:1-13; James 3:1-12

We're continuing through James, and this week we came to the famous passage about tongues (the tongue in your mouth, not the gift of tongues). He's telling us what we already know, but, like a swift kick in the butt, sometimes that's exactly what we need.

Click here to view a manuscript of this sermon.

Also, I've updated our discussion of spiritual gifts to include the gifts we covered this week: the gifts of tongues (spiritual tongues, not the one in your mouth) and interpretation of tongues. Click here to view Reversal: Spiritual Gifts Focus, or click here to read the blog post introducing it.

Preached on September 13, 2009 at PLWC.