Sunday, November 28, 2010

"Armor of Light" - The Rev. Dr. Kurt Gerhard - November 28, 2010



Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44

Last year, I spent Thanksgiving with my family for the first time in many years. The main festivity occurred in the home of my aunt and uncle, the only home in which I remember them living. The cold weather that surrounded their home was kept at a distance by the warmth of the spirits that resided within those walls. As the seventeen of us began to congregate, the world seemed to slow down. We had set a time for dinner, but it was, definitely, approximate. At some point, we found ourselves gathered around two tables. For once, I was not at the kid’s table. My cousins, my parents, my grandmother, and all their progeny ate quite a bit, but as always there was plenty to take home. The food lasted for days. That day of celebration and feasting rekindled many great Thanksgiving memories: from eating turkey, spending time with family, watching television, and telling stories. As always, it was a time to accomplish much by doing little. I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything.

Monday, November 22, 2010

"Can we be the rainbow?" - Henry McQueen, November 21, 2010

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Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.  Amen.

“There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’”

Some look at this inscription as though they were mocking Christ.  However, a close reading of the Gospels tells us that Pilate, who ordered the inscription to be placed there, had come to recognize Christ as King of the Jews. For Pilate this was a declarative statement, not a mocking phrase.  Several verses after our passage today we hear the centurion who stood guard at the cross say “Certainly this man was innocent.”  Matthew and Mark are even more clear in their Gospel accounts as the centurion says “Truly this man was God’s son!”

This Sunday is recognized as the Feast of Christ the King.  This is the end of the season after Pentecost.  Next week we celebrate the Church’s New Year - Advent. 

Sunday, November 14, 2010

"2012" - The Rev. Dr. Kurt Gerhard, November 14, 2010

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“By your endurance you will gain your soul.” Luke 21.19

Human imagination, in all cultures and eras, is often distracted with the end. I say distracted because it often diverts attention from the here and now. In the late 1990’s, many of us spent an exorbitant amount of time fretting about what might happen when the calendar changed from the 1900’s to the 2000’s. There were some who feared that the change would mark the end of the world. Major magazines and newspapers conjectured on the costs. There were some who withdrew their money from banks and stored up provisions to survive the breakdown of our systems as a result of computer software not being able to handle the change in number.