Sermons from August 2023

13 Pentecost, Proper 16 – August 27, 2023 Matthew 16:13-20 In our reading from Matthew’s gospel this morning, and by the way, it also appears in Mark and Luke’s gospel, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” It’s instructive that this question was raised, and that it survives in our three gospel accounts. It indicates that the memories of the earliest believers varied considerably about the identity of Jesus. Exactly who was he? From then until…

12 Pentecost, Proper 15 – August 20, 2023 Matthew 15:10-28          I recently learned how a lobster grows.  Did you know that a one-pound lobster can grow to be a three-pound lobster, even a ten-pound lobster?  So, the question is, how does a lobster grow while protected and confined by a hard shell?  I learned that when a lobster becomes crowded in its shell and cannot grow anymore, by instinct, it travels out to some place in the sea, hoping…

11 Pentecost, Proper 14 – August 13, 2023 Matthew 14:22-33          Jesus sent the disciples ahead by boat to the other side of the sea, while he went up on the mountain to pray, by himself.  By evening, the boat was battered by waves. The Greek “basanizo” literally means torture, torment or harassment; figuratively it means severe distress. The boat is far away from land, and the wind was against them. After a night-long battle for their lives, the disciples were understandably…

The Transfiguration – August 6, 2023 Luke 9:28-36          The Transfiguration is not just an event in our Christian history, it is not simply a beginning and an end story. It is a condition or way of being. The Transfiguration reveals a present reality. In other words, the transfiguration is already within us and the world.  But are we awake enough to be able to perceive it? The spiritual journey is always a battle between falling asleep and staying awake,…