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Sermon 18-July-10

Theme: Mary & Martha - Sister's in Faith

We hear Mary and Martha each week at St. Peter's - ringing out like bells.  That is true, but Mary & Martha's story can give us insight to recent disolvement of the Evangelical Lutheran Women.

Reading:  Genesis+18:1-10a Luke 10:38-42

Sermon 16-May-10

Theme: Watch out – you might catch faith here.

The 1950s were a different time Elvis was only show on Television from the waist up Elvis was singing the Jailhouse rock ditty about jailbirds And I read the lyrics this week … and I don’t get it. You know I can understand when Johnny Cash sings about jailbirds – but not this Elvis song. Maybe it Jailhouse Rock was just a show tune. Pastor Steve sings an altered verision for the congregation. Listen

If you ever wondered about our bible stories being written in a different time … this might be the proof text to show that. How much of this text from Acts just seems so out and out weird. Let me list a few: Paul met a slave girl – and she ticked him off with her outcries. The fact that she was a slave doesn’t bother him. There are mentions of slaves all over the New Testament stories but to us modern readers – the idea of slavery is abhorrent and just plain wrong Paul and Silas are severely beaten then chucked in jail because … well because the ticked off the slave owners. Again to our modern ears - it’s just plain wrong.

Reading:  Act 16:16-35

Sermon - 9 May 2010 - Mother's Day

Theme: A Mother’s love for her children is like Jesus' love for us.

There are two big days in our Church calendar : Christmas and Easter. These two dates fix and mark our church calendars – and our family calendars. Mother's Day always lands in Easter but doesn't really have assigned reading on our lectionary (the calendar of readings tied to the church calendar).  Pastor Steve shares some Mother's history, reads the classic childrens story "Are you my Mother" and reflects on Jesus' love for us.

Reading:  John 10:22-30

Sermon 2010 April 25 - Easter 4  - (but using Easter 3 readings)

Theme: Do you recognise Jesus in our abundance?

This story from the last chapter of the Gospel of John is one of my favourite stories. The idea of meeting Jesus on the beach and he is cooking breakfast really appeals to my need to be loved and cared for.

A few years ago I got to go fishing with my brother-in-law and one morning I actually caught a fish and we ate it. It was a scrawny little thing – just big enough to keep – and we eat it for breakfast – pan fried in butter and some garlic powder and served on pita bread. It was one of the best breakfast I’ve ever tasted. ... But you know I might be an even better fisherman than the disciples. “How can this be weren’t they professional fisherman?” Well that is true, but I challenge you to find a story in the bible were those fisherman disciples actually caught anything on their own with Jesus showing up and performing a miracle.

Reading:  Luke 5:1-11 &  John 21:1-19 

Sermon - 4 April 2010 - Easter Sunday 
Theme: Jesus transforms with one word

But what is that one word? 

Reading:  John 20:1-18

Sermon 21 March 2010

Theme: Look whose coming to dinner!

Did you ever see that movie staring Spencer Tracy; Sidney Poitier & Katharine Hepburn. The movie is called: “Guess Who’s Coming to dinner”. Do you remember it? As you can imagine, that dinner was a fairly tense event. In a way we could think about the supper with Jesus and his friends as a fairly tense event. But the conflict following Judas’ remark is only part of the story. So maybe a movie about this event might be called – “Look Who’s Coming to Dinner”.

I was once asked a question about organising a dinner party and if I could invite anyone – dead or alive, from the current era or from times past, who would I invite? I’m not sure I remember all of the people I would have chosen – but who would you invite? …

Reading:  John 12:1-8

Sermon 2010 January 10th  - The Baptism of our Lord

Theme: Come and rejoice … we are not lost : by Char Breitmaier

After reading the gospel for today’s sermon and brainstorming, I soon had pages of coloured circles. It was clear there were several themes present. Some obvious, some not so - thus the real work began. But during this next process a song phrase from my favourite group “Il Divo” floated through my head, “Come and Rejoice”.