Sermons from 2008 (Page 2)

By The Very Rev. Sherry CromptonSeptember 7, 2008 Read: Matthew 18:15-20 Throughout Matthew’s eighteenth chapter, Jesus underscores the importance of Christian community. Faith winds up being much more than a private affair, it becomes a community affair…something that happens when two or three are gathered together in His name. That is when he promised to be in our midst…when two or three are gathered together…not when we are off by ourselves feeling holy. Jesus is offering us a model of…

By The Very Rev. Sherry CromptonAugust 31, 2008 Read: Matthew 16:21-28 Here’s Peter again. Last week we recall that Peter had the right answer. He said that Jesus was the Messiah, the son of the Living God. And Jesus pronounced Peter blessed, the rock upon which the church would be built. But today. Well, today Jesus rebukes Peter…calling him a stumbling block, likening his actions to Satan. Jesus says to Peter: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block…

By The Very Rev. Sherry Crompton(Delivered at The Church of the Good Samaritan, Paoli, PA)August 24, 2008 Read: Matthew 16:13-20 “Who do you say that I am?” is still the question that Jesus asks us today. “Who do you say that I am?” Can you see, can you imagine with me, the looks on the disciples faces when Jesus asks this question of them. I can imagine faces looking down or away or anywhere but at Jesus’ face, feet shuffling,…

By The Very Rev. Sherry CromptonAugust 17, 2008 Read: Matthew 15:10-28 Today, I want to talk about boundaries. That’s where Jesus found himself that day, on the boundary. Jesus was weary. He had been involved in a flurry of activity in recent days. He just wanted to rest, and people kept coming to him. A crowd came, seeking healing, when he was alone in the wilderness. Jesus healed them, and he fed them miraculously. His disciples were threatened in a…

By The Very Rev. Sherry CromptonAugust 10, 2008 Read: Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 and Matthew 14:22-23 The attention grabber in our gospel story today is Jesus saying yes to Peter’s bid to walk on the water with him. You have to love Peter. Then Peter steps out of the boat and onto the water. Now, remember, there’s a storm going on. The wind is still whipping. The lightning is still flashing. The sea is still churning. And here’s Peter stepping out…

By The Very Rev. Sherry CromptonJuly 27, 2008 Read: Matthew 13:31-33,44-52 Have you understood all this?” Jesus asks the disciples at the end of our gospel passage for today. The question follows the telling of seven parables, each describing some aspect of the kingdom of heaven. Here, the disciples confidently respond “yes,” yet it is clear from their earlier question in verse 10 that parables are not easily understood. They are a little like looking through a kaleidoscope: depending on…

By The Very Rev. Sherry Crompton July 13, 2008 Read: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 The Parable of the Sower. This is probably a familiar parable to many of us and I don’t know about you, but when I heard this parable I automatically tried to figure out which kind of soil I am. There are slightly different ways to hear and see this parable…some see themselves as the sower, some as the seeds, and the most common way is to see…

By The Very Rev. Sherry CromptonJuly 6, 2008 Read: Matthew 11:16-19,25-30 Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. — Matthew 11:30 Comfortable words–these have been called comfortable words in the prayer book for…

By The Very Rev. Sherry CromptonJune 22, 2008 Read: Genesis 21:8-21 Do the promises of God to Sarah and Abraham mean that others can legitimately be cast aside? If one person receives the blessing of God, does that mean that another person is deprived of God’s blessing? Does my being blessed by God mean that I can claim a special status for myself? What rights and responsibilities accompany the blessings of God? These are a few of the questions raised…

By The Very Rev. Sherry CromptonJune 15, 2008 Read: Genesis 18:1-15;21:1-7 and Matthew 9:35-10:23 This morning Jesus tells the disciples to go to the lost sheep…the harassed and helpless ones…the ones without a shepherd, and give them good news. It starts with compassion – feeling another’s pain – and responding with hope. It’s the essence of doing ministry. But doing ministry the way Jesus tells us to do ministry is dangerous, because these “lost sheep” are the dangerous ones who…

By The Very Rev. Sherry CromptonJune 1, 2008 Read: Genesis 6:9-22;7:24;8:14-19, Matthew 7:21-29 Noah and his family stepped out from the ark into the first sunshine they had seen in [many, many] days and stood upon land. When they saw the clean new Earth, Noah and his family wept for joy. God wept with them. God spoke to Noah and his family, saying: “I am your God who brought you forth into this new land. Look around you and see…

By The Very Rev. Sherry CromptonMay 25, 2008 Read: Matthew 6:24-36, Psalm 131, Isaiah 49:8-16a There is a game out there called the “Worst Case Scenario Game”. In this worst case scenario survival game players face interesting or dangerous situations. Can you fend off a shark? Clear a jammed copy machine? Survive a five-story fall into a dumpster? Land an airplane? It’s up to you to get out of your Worst-Case Scenario. Give your best answer and if you’re right…