Sermons from 2013 (Page 4)

By The Rev. Sherry Deets 5 Lent – March 17, 2013 John 12:1-8 Like last week’s story of a father offering an extravagant gift of love, our gospel story for today is another story of an extravagant gift of love. As Jesus and his disciples are going to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover festival, they stop to have dinner in Bethany at the home of Jesus’ good friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. This event marks a turning point in Jesus’…

By The Rev. Sherry Deets 4 Lent – March 10, 2013 Luke 15:1-3,11b-32 This parable, often called the Prodigal Son, is one of my favorites from Luke’s gospel. But to focus only on the prodigal son, misses the full meaning of this parable. The man had two sons, not just one; and the man, the father, is an amazing example of a father’s love in this parable. I’d like to walk us through the parable, pointing out some of the…

By The Rev. Sherry Deets 3 Lent – March 3, 2013 Luke 13:1-9 While we read this story from Luke this morning in isolation, it doesn’t occur that way. In fact, we are entering an ongoing conversation midstream. Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem, teaching his disciples and the crowds as he goes. In chapter twelve he has told several potent parables on money and foolishness and always being prepared. He concludes by suggesting that those listening are not…

By The Rev. Sherry Deets 2 Lent – February 24, 2013 Luke 13:31-35 Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest, tells in one of her sermons about a window in a small chapel at the place where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. The window is divided into sections by an iron grillwork and, at first appearance, looks like a stained glass window. But it is not stained glass. It is clear glass, and it looks out onto the city of Jerusalem. Below…

By The Rev. Sherry Deets 1 Lent – February 17, 2013 Luke 4:1-13 So, today, this first Sunday in the holy season of Lent, we heard from Luke about Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. I wonder if temptation is one of those things we have a hard time talking honestly about in church. We tend to jump to the cultural racy topics of sex, power and drugs, or we move to a more traditional view and get all full of…

By The Rev. Sherry Deets 4 Epiphany – February 3, 2013 Luke 4:21-30 So in the fourth chapter of Luke’s gospel, when those who thought they knew him because they had known him his whole life said of Jesus, “Is this not Joseph’s son,” the answer is no, actually, this is not Joseph’s son. This person you thought you knew is God’s son. And that changes everything. When Jesus read the passage from Isaiah about bringing good news to the…

By The Rev. Sherry Deets 2 Epiphany – January 20, 2013 John 2:1-11 You know what they say: timing is everything. Whether it’s telling a joke, making a dramatic entrance in a stage show, or popping the question, timing is everything. When the timing is right, people laugh at your joke, gasp at your entrance, or smile radiantly in response to your proposal. And when the timing is off, they are just as likely to gasp at your joke, smile…