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The Epiphany of Our Lord (Transferred) |
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Delivered by The Rev. Dr. Carl Hansen
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3 January 2010
Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12
Many years ago, while I was on the faculty of Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, I was invited to preach at a planned community-wide celebration of Epiphany. For several days I agonized over how to start my sermon, for I felt that I needed something profound (or at least interesting) since I knew that many of the people who would attend the service had never heard me preach before. I have had some similar thoughts this week, as I thought about how to start my first sermon here at St. Paul in this service as we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany of our Lord, for many of you have never heard me preach a sermon before either.
I finally decided to begin this Epiphany Sermon with the same story I used for that sermon I gave in Kansas. It is a true story, and as you'll see, it speaks to the theme of light the midst of darkness that is so prominent in our celebrations of Christmas and in the Season of Epiphany, which we begin today.
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The First Sunday after Christmas |
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Delivered by Pastor Dan Bollman
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27 December 2009
Samuel 2:18-20, 26
Colossians 3:12-17
Luke 2:41-52
I think it is important to remember that Jesus is ONLY 12 years old in this story. After the Passover, Jesus is left behind… or more likely stays behind… as his parents and relatives blithely head back north to Nazareth. There may be a sermon in here on questionable parenting skills, but I doubt Luke gives us this account for that purpose, and besides they are getting the family to Church! As a youngster I was led to believe that Jesus was actually teaching the elders. That may have come from some artwork showing him sitting with a halo ringing his head, making a point, as the elders are portrayed as astonished buffoons, bedazzled by this 12-year-old’s brilliance. Having known 12-year-olds and even taught a few, my guess is Jesus wasn’t all that brilliant on theology, not yet, anyway. And so, as the text explains, he was asking questions, drinking in wisdom, not imparting it.
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The Nativity of Our Lord |
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Delivered by The Rev. Kevin R. Maly, PhD
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24 December 2009
Isaiah 9:2-7
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-20
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