Sermons by Rev. Sherman D. Stenson, Associate Pastor (Page 10)
Blessed to Be Thankful
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
So, which of the two miracles in tonight’s Gospel lesson from St. Luke do you consider the more amazing? The first one? Or the second? It’s not a trick question; there really are two—maybe even more. We just have to move our eyes and thoughts away from our obsession…
Whose Good Works?
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Fifty-two Sundays. That’s what we get each year. Advent and then Christmas; Epiphany and then Lent; Holy Week and Easter; Ascension and Pentecost and all those green Sundays which follow; a smattering of saints’ days and other observances mixed in, and it all…
Saints and Ain’ts
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Oh, no! It’s another one of those ‘saints’ days’ on the church calendar. St. James of Jerusalem? What does pastor think we are, Roman Catholic? It’s bad enough he wears that black shirt with the little white collar tab that makes him look like a priest most of the…
A Banquet of Love
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
In reading through the Sunday lessons bit by bit, week by week, rather than reading through the gospels from start to finish, one of the things we often miss is the flow of these narratives. The gospels were never written to be received in isolated sections—but as a…
The Way of Righteousness
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
From Matthew, chapter 21:
For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
I’d like to…
More Than Fair
Grace, mercy, and peace to you, from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
If ever there was a parable that demonstrated the stark contrast between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of this world, it is this one. As we try to scramble to the top of the heap in our dog-eat-dog society, effort and initiative in our chosen field usually…
Get Before Me, Jesus!
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Thy kingdom come; MY will be done.”
He might never have used those explicit words, that impetuous, strong-willed Galilean fisherman. But in his actions and by his words, it is pretty clear that sometimes Peter thought that way. He was fine with Jesus ushering…
He Came to Them
Grace, mercy, peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
There an old bit of folk wisdom that declares, “If you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door.” Now, I’m not sure how many of you have had to use a mousetrap lately. Some of you younger people may never have even seen one. Now, in our house,…
The Treasure
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Imagine for a moment that today you are going to die. The doctors have told you that there is nothing more they can do. Your family stands around your bedside helpless to prevent your death from coming. It no longer matters how much money you have, how expensive…
Gifts of God: Hidden, Revealed, and Given
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Independence Day weekend may seem like an unusual time to start a sermon by talking about Christmas. But I’m hoping that you’ll give me a bit of latitude for a moment or two. You see, as I was reading today’s Gospel text, I was struck by the contrast between how God…