Sermon for Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany

February 23, 2014, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  1 Corinthians 3:10-23

Sermon Theme: “The Building Code”

 (Sources:  Anderson’s Preaching Workbook, Cycle A; Emphasis Online Commentary; original thoughts and ideas; Emphasis Online Illustrations; A Great Sermon Illustration by Roger E. Olson (online); Online Humorous Sermon Illustrations; Kent Crockett’s online illustrations; Believer’s Commentary)

 Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Most of you have probably been through church building programs.  For many of us, the edifice on the other end down there (pointing to the fellowship hall) was our most recent one.  I read about a congregation that recently began a new building program by appointing a Building Committee.  The Committee has already met four times, each time passing a resolution.  Here are their 4 resolutions in consecutive order:

First Resolution:  We shall build a new church.

Second Resolution:  The new building is to be located on the site of the old one.

Third Resolution:  The material in the old building is to be used in the new one.

Fourth Resolution:  We shall continue to use the old building until the new one is completed.  Uh…..yeah!  I think they needed a Master Builder.  Continue reading →

Sermon for the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

February 16, 2014, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Sermon Theme:  “Life or Death?  Whose Choice Is It?”

 (Sources:  Anderson’s Preaching Workbook, Cycle A; Emphasis Online Commentary; Emphasis Online Illustrations; original ideas; Concordia Pulpit Resources, Vol. 24, Part 1, Series A)

 Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The story, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, illustrates the difficulty of making choices when the person, in this case, Alice, doesn’t know where she wants to go. 

Alice was treading the path through the forest in Wonderland when it divided in two different directions.  As she stood there wondering what to do, the Cheshire Cat suddenly appeared in the crotch of a tree.  Alice asked him which path she should choose. 

“Where do you want to go?”  asked the cat.

“I don’t know,” said Alice.

“Then,” said the cat, “it really doesn’t matter, does it?” Continue reading →

Sermon for Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

February 9, 2014, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  1 Corinthians 2:1-12

Sermon Theme:  “God’s Spirit Connecting with Our Spirit”

(Sources: Anderson’s Cycle A Preaching Workbook; Emphasis Online Illustrations; Believer’s Commentary; original ideas; Online Articles about Tripartite or Trichotomy Versus Dichotomy Theology)

 Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Like all Pharisees, the ex-Pharisee, St. Paul, was well educated.  I think it would be safe to say he was an intellectual.  Unlike some intellectuals who do not make good parish pastors, Paul did not allow his erudition get in the way of his preaching and teaching.

Pastor Bob Ove tells the story about the son of one of his friends.  The young man had just finished his PhD in Theology at the Seminary, and he was called to be a pastor in a small farming community. 

Here’s how he began his first sermon to his rural congregation:  “Of course all of you have read the play by Moliere.”  Then he looked out and saw the blank looks on the farmer’s faces, and he started again, “Perhaps some of you have read the play by Moliere.”  He still got blank looks from his audience. 

Finally he said, “There is a play by a writer named Moliere.” 

Continue reading →

Sermon for The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord

February 2, 2014, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  Luke 2:22-32

Sermon Theme:  “The Song That Stays in Your Head”

 (Sources:  Emphasis Online Commentary; Emphasis Online Illustrations; Concordia Pulpit Resources, Volume 24, Part 1, Series A; original ideas; Harper’s Bible Dictionary; Halley’s Bible Handbook; Online Wikipedia.)

 Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Most of you are probably like me, — you get a song in your head, and you go around hearing that tune inside your head, and then you start humming it all day long.  Just recently, it was “O What a Beautiful Morning,” the Rodgers and Hammerstein song from Oklahoma. 

One Saturday night, as I was preparing the worship service for Sunday, even though no one could know, I was really embarrassed because of the song I kept  hearing in my head and kept humming!  It was Hank Williams’ “There’s a Tear in My Beer Tonight.”  At least by Sunday morning, it had left my consciousness.

Continue reading →