Sermon Notes (Page 2)

Introduction We continue our Lenten sermon series based on the book The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, journeying day by day through Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem. We are quickly moving to the end of the week, and therefore closer to the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. Each day has been building, and this day we arrive at Jesus’ most profound teaching at the last supper. But that’s not the end of the day… Illustration Video…

Introduction We continue our Lenten sermon series based on the book The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, journeying day by day through Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem. This week we move to Wednesday, commonly called “Spy Wednesday” in the Christian liturgical calendar. On this day of Jesus’ final week, two of Jesus’ followers make important decisions that set the plot in motion for Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection. The writer of the Gospel of Mark contrasts…

Introduction We continue our Lenten sermon series based on the book The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, journeying day by day through Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem. This week we move to Tuesday and an expanse of texts from the middle of the 11th chapter all the way through the end of the 13th chapter. Roughly two-thirds of this section shows Jesus in conflict with the religious leaders in the temple, where Jesus is continually challenged…

Introduction We continue our Lenten sermon series based on the book The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, journeying day by day through Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem. This week we move to Monday, the day that Jesus turns over the tables in the temple. Known as a “cleansing” of the temple, Jesus’ motives and intentions have been widely explored in countless sermons and papers. This story is framed by a narrative about a fig tree, something…

Introduction This is the first week of our Lenten sermon series based on the book The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan. This series will take us day by day through Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem. As we open, we explore the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, and compare this to the likely historical entry that Pontius Pilate would have made through the opposite side of the city. Where Jesus enters on a donkey, Pilate likely…

Introduction This is the final week of our sermon series on why our Christian faith is essential. We have not addressed all the reasons and all the ways that Christianity is as important as ever, and I suggest that’s not possible. With that said, I suggest that this week we approach an essential element of the Christian faith: that this is a faith that requires action. The epistle of James strongly advocates this point in the 2nd chapter (set aside…

Introduction As we continue our post-Christmas sermon series called “Why Be Christian?” we might remember what we’ve explored so far. We began in the baptismal waters alongside Jesus, who entered the waters to show us the way to God’s abundant life. We listened for the voice of God alongside Samuel, Philip, and Nathanael. With Jonah, Simon, Andrew, James, and John, we received the persistent and grace-filled invitation to participate with God in living out the fullness of God’s kingdom here…

Introduction This week we continue our post-Christmas sermon series called “Why Be Christian?” As we explore texts from the story of Jonah and the call of the disciples, we will consider the importance of our response: our response to God, to our faith, to the circumstances of the world. In doing so, we will ask ourselves whether these responses should be inward or outward… or perhaps both! Illustration Video A clip from the 1997 film Close Encounters of the Third…

Introduction This week we continue our post-Christmas sermon series called “Why Be Christian?” Liturgically, this is also the beginning of Ordinary Time (named for ordinal numbers), though we can also remember that being Christian is not necessarily ordinary. It is good, then, that we choose to focus this week on listening. I would suggest that choosing to prioritize listening is indeed extraordinary, given that our U.S. culture seems largely focused on isolated sound-bites, self-promotion, and greed. Perhaps taking more time…

Introduction This week we begin a new post-Christmas sermon series called “Why Be Christian?” Over the course of the next five weeks, we will explore the meaning of our faith and spirituality, particularly as Christians. This first week we begin at the beginning: with the opening verses of the Genesis creation story, and with the baptism of Jesus. These are essential beginnings to the stories of Christianity, and they offer us the opportunity to explore the beginnings of our own…

Introduction Can you believe it? We’re entering the final stretch of our Advent Road Trip series. Over the past few weeks, we’ve packed our bags, asked “Are We There Yet?”, and navigated the roadblocks on our journey. We’re approaching our destination. This is about the time you keep your eyes peeled for your exit, signaling that you’ve nearly made it to the end. Those exit signs bring a sense of relief and excitement that rivals the initial excitement we feel…

Introduction Hello, travelers! Here we are at the third week of Advent, and our Road Trip series has hit a bit of a snag… but we’ll get to that in a moment. A few weeks ago we began our journey Packed and Ready to prepare for the arrival of Christ. And last week, we leaned into that all-too-familiar question, “Are We There Yet?” with John the Baptist as our guide, as he prepared the way for Christ. This week we…