Pastor Travis Norton's Sermons

20 Years of Ordained Ministry

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 15:26:00 +0000

20 Years

Today, I celebrate 20 years of Ordained Ministry. I wrote a reflection 10 years ago that still rings true.

My wife, Victoria, wrote a very kind tribute on Facebook for me this week. It was such a joy to read all of the comments from everyone over the years. Here's what she wrote:

"Tomorrow marks 20 years of ordination for Travis. I’ve never known a person more called to a vocation than Travis is to being a pastor. When I tell you that my husband thinks about church, about his congregation, about telling people about Jesus and how to share the good news all the time, I mean, he thinks about it All. The. Time. It’s a regular occurrence to come across Travis reading, watching, and learning more and more about Christ’s church on earth and how he can best serve it…and that’s on his day off.

Travis has faithfully served 3 churches in the last 20 years. He’s been PT, the youth director who has shaped and encouraged countless youth from Montana to North Carolina and now in Colorado. His Wednesday night sermons had him duct taping kids together, riding a bike through the sanctuary and giving teenagers someone they can ask hard questions to.

He stepped into senior pastor roles to help shape, encourage, love, and grow congregations in ways that will be felt for generations. He’s dived into construction and finance in ways they don’t teach you in seminary to faithfully lead two congregations through major building campaigns. He is constantly learning and growing to be the best leader he can be and serve not only his congregation but also his coworkers.

I’m so proud of his ministry and am in awe of his love for God’s people. If you have been a part of Travis’s ministry over the last 20 years, will you leave him a comment below or reach out to him this week?

I love you, Travis Norton and I’m so glad I’m along for the ride and get the honor of witnessing your ministry up close."

I am so fortunate to have Victoria in my life and as a partner in ministry. I worry that people don't recognize her role in this ministry now that we're in a big church. I wouldn't be who I am without her!

I’m still in this ministry for the simple reason that I love Jesus and believe God is at work in the world to reveal His love for us. I want, simply, to be part of what God is doing in the world. For me that means preaching the gospel, helping people understand the scriptures, leading a congregation well so that it is a place of spiritual nurturing for all who find a home there.

I’m still captivated by God, the scriptures, and the church. Each of those challenge me to pursue something different than myself, some better, something that came before me and will outlast me. I’m amazed that God loves me. I’m amazed that God would deign to do anything through me. He honors me by using me to bring His word to others. I feel like my biggest question is ‘Really? Do you really love me?’ and all I hear is ‘Yes, oh you of little faith, of course I love you.’ And I need to hear it every time, and thankfully God never tires of reassuring me.

I love the scriptures. I love to study them and wonder what God might say to me and us through these old scriptures that are anything but dusty. I feel like I’m opening a treasure box each time. Sometimes the gold is shining right on top-like in the prodigal son and good Samaritan stories. But usually, I get to dig for the gold in the story, and I love that work. I feel guilty sometimes that I get to see more treasure in the scriptures than can possibly be shared in one sermon. But the sermon is my work to let others peak into the treasure chest with me. I can’t imagine I’ll ever tire of scripture, nor will I ever uncover all that is there.

I love the church. When you’re called to ordained ministry, they tell you that the call comes from God and must be confirmed by the church. You hear it personally and then you look outside and wonder if the church hears it too. If they do, and you get ordained, then you find yourself in a constant tension between what you hear God saying about your call and what the church hears God saying about your call. As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another, the scriptures say. I find that the church is the iron in my life sharpening me, making me the pastor they need. If I get too deep in the weeds sharing all my exegesis of scripture the church calls me to the surface and tells me to speak in words they can actually use and understand. If I get caught up in an agenda of my own the church calls me back and asks me to tell them the old, old story again. If I lay it on too thick and they leave the sanctuary weighed down by the law I hear them begging me to preach the gospel, the good news of Jesus. I sharpen them too. I preach on scriptures and topics they wouldn’t choose. I lead them to take on challenges they wouldn’t take on without my prodding etc. We are in this call together. I’m grateful for the church.

20 years in I have more clarity on my call and my gifts than ever before. I know what I can do and what I need help to do. I know if something is mine to do and if something is for someone else. I keep my ears open to what the larger trends and interests are in the wider church, but I find myself less and less interested in pursuing those agendas. What interests me is creating at least one healthy congregation where the gospel is preached, and people can hear God’s word and call in their own lives and pursue whatever God calls them to do. I’m still running on the fuel that my home congregation gave me when I was a kid. I want to give that to others. I want kids to have a place where they are nurtured in the faith by loving adults. I want confirmation students to be inspired in their faith and commit their lives to Jesus and His way. I want High school students to be able to bring their big questions and pushbacks and find people willing to engage them where they are and also challenge them. I want young adults to find a touchstone in the congregation as they determine their own flavor of faith. I want them to know they were loved even if they decide they need something different for their continued growth in faith. I want adults to find a place where they can live and be part of God’s work. A place where they can bring their whole lives and hear God speaking to them however, they need it. A place where they can be sent from, each week, to serve the Lord in their daily lives. I want older adults to have a place to invest in and leave for their children. I want a congregation who cares for the sick and the dying and ushers people into the promise of resurrection. I want to help build a congregation that serves the world from a place of deep love and calling.

Most recently in this call I’m realizing that I’m actually pretty good at this work. That’s a hard thing for me to say because it feels prideful, and I don’t want to be self-aggrandizing. I admit that’s a temptation for me, even writing and sharing this reflection is giving into that. But I also recognize that it is healthy to know that I’m good at the work God has called me to, because then I can take responsibility for what I do. I’m no longer just bumbling my way through hoping something good comes. I can be intentional, and in fact I think the next 20 years should be about me being more intentional about what I’m doing. I don’t want to coast through this work. I want God to show me the full extent of what He can do through this one life. That scares me to say. It’s super tempting to just lean back and enjoy what is. But I wonder what God would have me do with the next 20 years? I want to be faithful to the challenges God asks me to undertake and not be timid but bold and courageous. I think I’m in a congregation that wants the same thing, just to find out what’s possible. What could God do through us if we didn’t hold back, but fully leaned into our gifts and calling? I want to find out.

My friend Carla Stanton made this for me when I was ordained 20 years ago. It contains all the verbs in the Ordination vows, and it sits on my desk as a constant reminder.

It's Valentine's Day, what are you giving up for Lent?

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 14:22:00 +0000

That might be a strange title, but hang with me for a minute. Valentine’s day is the perfect holiday to consider what you will be giving up for Lent. Lent starts in just two weeks with Ash Wednesday on March 1^st. So the timing is right to start making your plan for a Lenten fast, but there’s more to it than that.

Valentine’s day is a day to celebrate the people you love. Often we do that in very concrete ways, with a nice card—sometimes handmade, a tangible gift and some quality time together. It’s not that we don’t express love to our significant others the rest of the year, but Valentine’s day is a day to be more intentional about expressing that love, and to express it in concrete ways. Well, the same is true of Lent and the expression of our love for and our devotion to God.

During Lent, Christians are encouraged to fast-give something up as one of the Lenten disciplines. The disciplines are three; Fasting, Prayer and Almsgiving (giving money to those in need). Each of these are ways to express concretely our devotion to God. They are like Valentines, given to a loved one. They are expressions of love. They aren’t required, you don’t get punished if you don’t do them, you also don’t get extra credit for doing them. They are ways to show God your love, not prove it.

At my church we have special worship services on Wednesday for Lent. This is a way to take up the discipline of prayer and spend extra time during those 40 days in worship. If your church offers something similarly, make a plan to participate. If not, find a church that does. Every year we have a couple come worship with us during Lent because their church doesn’t offer anything. And we are happy to give them that opportunity.

Make a plan to support a charity financially. This can be a church or other non-profit that serve the poor. Our Lutheran church has some great extensions that serve the needy in the world including Lutheran World Relief , ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Services Carolinas .

And make a plan to fast this Lent. This is one of the most personal things we can do to express our love to God and our need for God. Fasting is an interesting exercise, to intentionally NOT do something as a way of expressing devotion to God. Lenten fasting isn’t about giving up an unhealthy thing in order to become more healthy- this isn’t dieting. So maybe this year it’s time to go a little further than giving up candy or Lattes. Here are three suggestions for fasting this year.

1. Choose one or two days a week where you won’t eat anything. Drink water only. You might want to check with your doctor on this one to make sure you’re healthy enough to attempt this. Then throughout the day as you feel the hunger pains, let them serve as a reminder to pray and express to God your commitment.

2. Bury your smartphone. Ok, maybe just turn it off and put it in a drawer. But you know you spend way too much time checking apps like e-mail and Facebook and that silly game you hope you never get caught playing. Imagine spending that time in prayer instead. Every time you get the urge to check your phone and find that it’s not in your pocket or purse, use that as a reminder to express your commitment to God.

3. Go cold turkey and give up all alcohol. We Lutherans can get a little loose with our drinking, and I’m surprised how important drinking has become to our American culture. How many of us look forward to that glass of wine each night, or that beer? How many of us enjoy the weekends because we like to drink more than one? Give it up for 40 days and turn that desire towards God.

Oh and don’t forget, we never fast on Sundays. Why? Because that’s the day Jesus rose from the dead and it’s a day to celebrate His love for us! Happy Valentine’s day!

-Pastor Travis

Christ The King

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 17:00:00 +0000

Luke 23:33-43

Our King died

he didn’t have to

he could have prevented it

But still he died

That’s the difference

between the leader we follow

and all other leaders who vie for our allegiance

We follow the crucified one

the one who laid down his life for us

Today is Christ the King Sunday

when we not only proclaim that Jesus is our KIng

but we remember what kind of King he is

Jesus is our King

let’s just think about what that means for a minute

What does it mean

to have a king

I think the closest thing on earth

I’ve ever had to having a king

was when I played football in highschool

My coach was king

he told us what to do

and we obeyed

He told us to bear crawl across a field

and we did it

He rallied us toward a common vision and goal

winning football games

I remember at practice he would try out new plays with us

and get excited casting a vision

of how that play would bring us victory

I still remember our first game

when we won against a team that seemed so much bigger than us

We were all excited and piled into the locker room

and our coach came in and yelled at us to be quiet

And for a minute I couldn’t believe

that he was going to chastise us after a win

WE all sat stunned as He said in a very grave voice

the only way I know to have an undefeated season

then a dramatic pause

is to win the first game

He cracked a smile

and we all cheered

I’ll never forget that feeling

of being part of a team

with a leader who cared about us and wanted good things for us

I saw my coach years later

when I volunteered to lead worship at a detention center

he was working the front desk, giving his time to helping young men in trouble

and my respect and admiration for him grew even more

Good leaders are powerful influencers in our life

they unleash our potential

they galvanize us to reach beyond ourselves for bigger goals and dreams

they give us a sense of being cared for, of being important

So what does it mean

to say that our King is Jesus?

How does Jesus lead?

Well, not like any other leader

I’ve ever known

He leads not from strength

but from weakness

Instead of leading from the top

delegating to his underlings

Jesus leads from the bottom

looking like a man in need of help

instead of someone offering to help others

Jesus was crucified

he was beaten and tortured

mocked and spit upon

And as he hung dying

everyone pointed out

that he wasn’t in any position

to help anyone, he couldn’t even help himself

“IF you are God’s messiah,” they said

“the anointed one

Save yourself and us”

“He saved others,” he said

“but he can’t save himself”

Jesus leads by being helpless and needy

not kind of thing that usually inspires us

to follow

Don’t we typically choose leaders

known for the strength and lack of need?

We want leaders who are powerful

who can help us

who can do something about our problems

Not one who seems to be overwhelmed

with problems of his own

Certainly not someone

who can be arrested and killed

That’s not a symbol of power

is it?

But that’s the path Jesus chooses

a path that is intentionally weak

The cross was a strong symbol in Jesus’ day

it was a symbol of Roman power and authority

the Romans would line the streets

with crosses on which they crucified those

criminals and enemies

The crosses sent a message to the world

that Rome was in charge

and you’d better not mess with her

When they crucified Jesus

they hung a sign on his cross

that said Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews

A not so subtle message

that Rome and not any Jewish King

was in charge

It was a way to emphasize their power and authority

a way to say ‘don’t mess with us’

Which is the way the world works

it is the strong who lead

the ones who can defeat the other

Usually you have to win a war

in order to lead a nation

in our country we’ve civilized things slightly

you have to win an election to be the leader

but our elections are brutal and vicious

The point is survival of the fittest

to ensure the strongest, the fiercest, the most powerful lead

But Jesus leads differently

to make a different point

His conversation with the two thieves on the cross

reveal the method to his madness

They are both thieves

likely murdering thieves

who lived according to the world’s rules

taking what they wanted by force

killing anyone who got in their way

One thief points out that Jesus is weak

you saved others, save yourself

But the other sees more clearly

that Jesus is innocent

not deserving the punishment he is receiving

This thief recognizes

that Jesus’ authority is not diminished

by his physical state

‘Remember me when you come into your kingdom’

he says

What an amazing statement of faith

to look at a man dying

and see someone who could offer help

someone who could meet your deepest need

The theif looks at Jesus

and sees someone who still has power

who still has something precious to offer

The thief recognizes that Jesus’ kingdom

is not of this world

Here is Jesus

in the mess with the thief

in the same situation

bleeding, suffocating and dying

Jesus doesn’t rule from on high

he doesn’t rule from the top

He rules from where we are

in the thick of it with us

He looks the thief in the eye

man to man

suffering to suffering

As someone who knows completely

absolutely what he’s going through

And Jesus speaks hope

life and salvation

“TODAY you will be with me in paradise”

With ME

IN Paradise

That is salvation

life with Jesus

in Jesus’ kingdom

This is our King

the one who knows suffering and death

and can look us in the eye no matter what we’re going through

and deliver us from evil into paradise with Him forever

Which begs the question

if he had the power to deliver on that promise

which we know because of the resurrection

Why go through death in the first place?

why did Jesus die, wasn’t there another way?

The answer is love

Jesus died because of love

Our King

loves us

Loves you

with all his heart

He comes to the depths of where we find ourselves

and loves us there

He loves the guilty murderous thief on the cross

and comes to where he is

to offer forgiveness and eternal life

He loves the least of us

the poorest of us

the weakest of us

the saddest of us

He loves us in our grief

in our weariness

in our loneliness

He loves us in our sin

our rebellion

our addiction

our wandering

He loves us when we’re broken

and don’t see a way out

He loves us when our lives are a mess

and we’re just so tired of trying

He loves us so much

that he hung on a cross to be with us

so we would know that his love

knows no bounds

so he could look us in the eye

and say I know you, I know all about you

today you will be with me in paradise

That’s our leader

the one who heals and saves and lvoes

On the cross

Jesus forgave the ones who nailed him to the wood

Can you imagine

praying for the forgiveness of those who caused you so much pain

How many of us are still holding grudges

against someone who hurt us in some way in the past

And yet Jesus in the moment of the pain

of having nails hammered through his wrist pinning him to the cross

used what little strength he had

To pray “Father, forgive them”

They cast lots for his clothes

the roman soldiers

They took what few possessions he had

the clothes on his back

and they drew straws to see who got to keep them

And Jesus prays

Father forgive them

Would you follow a King like this?

A King who loves like this?

It’s never too late

to declare your allegiance to this King

Even in the moment of death

after a lifetime of doing wrong

this King would still forgive

and welcome you into His kingdom

That’s how much he loves

And we are called to love

like Jesus

To live our lives in such a way

that the world knows who our king is

and what our king is like

That means forgiving those who sin against us

it means loving our enemies

It means making sacrifices

personal sacrifices

to bless those around us

It may even mean one day

giving our lives

to save others

The cross reveals God’s love for us

and the extent of God’s mercy

We are saved by God’s grace

and then we are called

to go and spread that grace to a world who doesn’t know

that they too are loved like this

So we live our lives

in response to what God has given

to the salvation our King has won for us

We do this individually

and as a congregation

I’ve been impressed this week

by those who have signed up

to clean the church in Stephanie’s absence

Stephanie is our secretary and our custodian

and she’s on a three week vacation

We put the call out

for people to volunteer to cover her work

I’ve seen people give up hours of their time

to clean bathrooms, vacuum floors

mop classrooms

That’s just a small example

of what it looks like to be a people

who follow a King who gave himself for others

Another examples

is the prayer shawl ministry

who has partnered with other churches

to extend their ministry wider

They donated 90 items

scarves and shawls and hats

to Room in the Inn

hosted by Mt. Zion UMC

It’s about love

extended to all people

It’s not about one congregation

or one organization

It’s not about getting credit

but about extending grace

We do this as individuals

and as a congregation

IN a few minutes

we’ll have our annual meeting

where we do the business of this congregation

We’ll decide what to focus on in the coming year

how to use the resources God has given us

and elect new leaders to help guide us

We are just one congregation

in a city full of churches

but God has called us to join Him in his work

To follow the one who cared for the least in the world

who healed the sick, fed the hungry

and forgave the sinner

To follow the one who sacrificed himself

not just for his friends

but for his enemies too

God invites us to follow the King

who obeyed the Father in everything

with courage and patience and love

To follow the One

who loved us so much that he gave his own life

that we might not perish but have eternal life

WE are loved

beyond measure

We are loved by this King Jesus

To follow him

is to love as he loved

Amen.

Luke 21 After the Election

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 13:55:00 +0000

Luke 21:5-17

Well wow, what an incredible week

it’s been

Lots of news to talk about today

our world has been forever changed

Where should I start?

how do I preach on a day like this?

Let’s start with the thing that matters most

this week Mike and Theresa Wellens

gave birth to their first child

A little girl whom they named Madeleine

she came in just a little above 5 pounds

and the family is at home now

I’d venture to say

that nothing more important than that

happened this week

Our congregation grew by one

as did our responsibilities to help this family

raise their daughter in the faith

She’ll be baptized

as soon as she’s big enough to come to worship

But of course that’s not the only thing of importance

that happened this week

We got news on Tuesday

that Sue Adair had passed away

Sue was a long time member of our congregation

who has been suffering from Alzheimer’s for a few years

I remember her at my installation

gently but firmly ushering me to the front of the line at the potluck

when she found me lingering at the back of the line

Sue was a sweet, sweet lady

and we were sad to see her go

We held her funeral on Friday

and reminded ourselves of the promises Jesus made

That this world is not all there is

that death is not the end

That we can comfort each other with the words of Jesus

Do not let your hearts be troubled

believe in God, believe also in me

So two big events this week

a birth in the life of the congregation

and all the hopes and promises that come with that

And a death

and all the sadness and mourning

that accompanies a loss

Did anything else more important

happen this week?

No,

not more important

But there was an election

with winners and losers

and all the hopes and dreams and sadness and mourning

that accompanies every election

I’ll confess it’s taken me several days

to find perspective on this election

and I’m still looking

I went to bed before the results came in

fully expecting Clinton to be elected

and wondering what her presidency would be like

When I woke up I was shocked to discover

that Trump had pulled out the upset of the century

and then I devoured the news as I wondered

what his presidency will be like

For some on Tuesday night

hopes and dreams were realized

their voices were finally heard

For others those hopes and dreams

were dashed

and new fears have risen

In the past couple of days

we’ve seen the stages of grief on display all over the news

denial, anger, bargaining, despair, acceptance

A lot of the protests in the street

are ways for people to grieve—and that’s ok

For my part

I’ve spent the week trying to figure out

how to preach to both groups simultaneously!

Some of you voted for Trump

hoping he would shake things up in Washington

get things done,

Maybe it was a desire to reshape the supreme court

or finally send a non-politician to break the gridlock

Or maybe you just didn’t trust Clinton

or felt like the government wasn’t listening to your voice

and now are hopeful for what Trump might accomplish

Others of you are extremely disappointed and fearful today

you wonder if a Trump presidency will lead to a spike

in discrimination against minority groups

You had hoped for the first female president

and are struggling with the fact that half of your country

could vote for someone who talked about women the way Trump has

So we’re a mixed bag today

and here we are in the same sanctuary

singing, praying, communing together

Worshipping the One God

who is neither conservative nor liberal

in whose image we were made

If there’s hope for our country

I don’t think it comes from our politics

but from our faith

The appointed scripture for this Sunday

is one that predicts the end of the world

When I read it on Monday

before the election

I was like “you’ve got to be kidding”

Is this a sign the apocalypse is coming

that whoever gets elected

will usher in the end of the age?

That might be reading too much into it

this passage usually comes up around this time

after an election

But still I think there is wisdom for us

from Jesus’ words about the end of the age

The world may not be ending

but regardless of who we voted for

there is great uncertainty about the future and anger

about the present

There was one scene on the news where House speaker Paul Ryan

was giving the Trumps a tour of the capitol building

and they were dutifully impressed by the structure and view

Our gospel lesson recounts the time

when Jesus came to the capitol of his country

the city of Jerusalem

He and his disciples toured the temple

which was an impressive building in its own right

and would have rivaled anything we have in DC today

The temple stood a full 1/3 higher

that the Dome of the Rock

which currently occupies that space in Jerusalem

And the disciples are oohing and awwwing

as they crane their necks to look up at the temple

The center of power

the place where God lived

It was the economic engine

of the nation

The political powerhouse

the religious center

The temple was Wall Street, Washington DC and the Vatican

all rolled up into one

The disciples are duly impressed

but Jesus it seems is not

He calls them out of their revelry

and shocks them when he says Not one stone of this temple will be left upon another

all will be thrown down

Jesus says that everything they know

everything about the way the world works

will one day come crashing down

He then gives them more bad news

about what’s coming in the future

Wars and rumors of wars

nations and kingdoms rising up against each other

Great earthquakes

and famines

and plagues

And they themselves

will be persecuted and unfairly brought to trial

and put in prison

And you thought the election

signaled the end of the world!

Can you imagine touring DC with Jesus

and him saying that everything we see

would one day be leveled, utterly destroyed

That puts things in perspective

everything we see and experience

is temporary, it will pass

Don’t put your hopes on what you see

or even in whom you elected

It will one day

all come crashing down

That was Jesus’ message to the Disciples

and we know he was right about the temple, at least

In 2000 I went on a study trip to Jerusalem

and I went to the temple mount

and walked where the disciples had walked

And there was no temple there

but instead we walked around these huge blocks

that had once made up the temple wall

The romans destroyed the temple

just 40 years after Jesus predicted

The impossible happened

the world as they knew it changed forever

No more sacrifices

no more priests going to the holy of holies

no more pilgrims traveling hundreds of miles

to see the temple

What once seemed to be permanent

suddenly wasn’t

And when the temple was destroyed

Christians looked back at these words of Jesus

for wisdom

And what they heard was

that this isn’t the end

The world isn’t over

just because these walls came tumbling down

I don’t know if they found comfort

but they did hear Jesus giving them

words to live by in an age of uncertainty

First, Jesus says

Don’t be terrified when these things happen

It’s a reminder that our hope is in Jesus

not in human institutions

Our president will not fulfill our hopes

nor can he dash them

Because our hopes are in the one who sits on the throne of history

only He can bring about what the world needs

and He is the only leader who will never let us down

Jesus says don’t be terrified

Then he says

don’t be led astray

I’ve seen people led astray already

in the aftermath of this elections

There’s been no end to name calling and labeling

from both sides of the political aisle

We Christians cannot give into the way

our country has divided itself

We can’t play along

We look at this election and this country

not from the perspective of Left and Right

but from the perspective of Christian

The best way we can be patriots

is to be faithful to our God

so we can be a blessing to our neighbor of every stripe

That’s means we don’t bear false witness against our neighbor

we don’t label people racists or elitist

Instead we love our neighbor as ourselves

we do good even to those who hate us

and we treat everyone the way we want to be treated

We listen to each other in order to learn and understand

Christians should be curious as tow why

some are so upset with the election

Christians should be curious

as why people voted the way they did

As we engage in listening

Christians decide ahead of time to love the person with whom you disagree

Don’t be terrified Jesus says

don’t be led astray

And finally Jesus

tells us to look for opportunities to testify to the truth

Jesus predicts things will get bad before they get better

and there is coming a time when Christians will be the target

I don’t think that time is now

I hope not

but it might be

In any case we shouldn’t be surprised when trouble comes

instead we should be ready to make our case for Christ’s truth

I think that’s our job in politics too

to be ready to share with what Jesus stood for and wanted for all people

We need to testify to Christ

and put our trust in him alone

Both republicans and democrats

have as part of their platforms and plans

items that align with our Christian faith

And they both have values and actions

that are opposed to our Christian faith

We don’t give any party a pass

as more or less Christian than any other

But as Christians we stand for Christ

and we work for Christ

and we look for opportunities to share Jesus’ way with those in power

We are not to be afraid

we are not to be led astray

and we are to look for opportunities to testify

Because our hope is in One

who is larger that this world

and more powerful than anything within it

Our allegiance is not to party

but to Jesus

So we are free to celebrate

when our elected officials do what is good and right

and we are free to call them to account

when they do what is wrong and harmful

In this new season of American history

we pray for our president

we support all who were elected

We listen to the voices of those

who put these leaders in power

We listen to the voices of those

who are fearful about the future

And we love them both

And offer both the hope

that comes from the one who gave his life

to bring us together

To those who celebrate

and those who mourn

let us tell about the One who

has outlasted both emperor and empire

The King is Jesus

and he is still on his throne

Jesus is the one we follow

and he calls us to love and serve our neighbor

He calls us to celebrate the birth of a child

and mourn the death of the loved one

He calls us to serve

and love

and offer hope

We follow Jesus

which in my view is exactly what this country needs, now more than ever. Amen.

11-17-13_Isaiah

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 18:26:00 +0000

11-17-13_Isaiah

10 Years of ordination, reflections.

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 18:22:00 +0000

Ten years ago today a bishop, a handful of pastors and representatives from two congregations laid hands on me and ordained me into the ministry of Word and Sacrament. It was a huge moment in my life and set me on a fascinating, holy, surprising and Spirit filled path. I am so grateful to be a pastor. I’ve been reflecting this week on these past ten years and today I want to talk about the most important part of my life and ministry. Jesus.

Jesus is why I do what I do. His teachings, his actions, his death and his resurrection are what inspire my ministry. When I was in high school I had at tacky bumper sticker on my car that read “my boss is a Jewish carpenter.” That’s how I feel today. Jesus is my boss. I’m trying to do the things he asks me to do. I don’t want to let him down. I’m counting on him to back me up and show me the way forward. I can’t see the whole vision, I trust that I’m playing a small part in what He’s building. Being a pastor, ultimately for me, is about following Jesus.

The sacraments that I am called to administer, Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, are all about Jesus. When I pour the water over a child or an adult I am witness to them becoming one with Christ. I teach them that when God looks at them he sees His son Jesus. That they are wholly intertwined and where Jesus goes, they too will go. When I place bread in outstretched hands I’m watching Jesus himself feed his people with his own body and blood. They are being forgiven by his sacrifice, as am I. Together we are united to Christ and called to live his life out in the flesh. That is, we are to be Jesus-like in everything we do.

So how am I doing? This morning I spent an hour talking about whether or not the lights in our new sanctuary are going to be dim-able. There’s a lot of my ministry that is hard to connect to what Jesus did. I suppose if Jesus spent anytime helping his dad as a carpenter, there might be some connection. I suppose though he would be patient in conversations like this and use it to help people see God’s love more clearly. But half the time I’m scratching my head about the things I end up doing, wondering if this is really what I’m called to do. A huge part of my ministry is setting up chairs!

Other times though, like yesterday, it’s easier to feel like I’m following Jesus. I spent 2 hours helping a family grieve the loss of a loved one, and I’ll do his funeral this Saturday. I look forward to telling all in attendance that there is a resurrection promised to those who are united to Jesus. That Jesus conquered death so that we don’t mourn like those who have no hope. Yesterday I also spent over an hour in Bible study talking about how King David was a precursor to God’s true anointed one. How Jesus was everything that Saul and David and all the other kings of Israel were not. Yesterday was a Jesus day J

Sometimes I feel like I’m in the thick of a battle and I look up to see Jesus giving directions from a hill off in the distance. Sometimes I feel like Jesus is right next to me as we build something together. Other times I feel Jesus pick me up and carry me. My favorite song is ‘Hold Me Jesus’ by Rich Mullins. I count on His strength, especially when I feel shaken. Whether he’s far or near I work to keep my eyes on Him trying hard to do the things he would have me do. I suspect at the end of time He will give me a grade. I wonder if I’m even catching his drift 50% of the time.

But the other thing I know, is that at the end of time, no matter how well or how poorly I’ve done. He is going to welcome me into his kingdom as a brother. It cost him his life to do it for me, but he has covered every deficiency of mine. This is grace.

And that’s why I love him. I love Jesus. I feel extraordinarily loyal to him. I do this work every day because of him. He is the core of what motivates me. And I hope he’s pleased. I hope and pray that he’s happy with my work.

October 16th, 2003

Jason Stanton, Travis Norton, Phillip Martin

the Unholy Trinity

10th Anniversary Reflections: preaching

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 20:29:00 +0000

As my 10^th anniversary of ordination rolls around this week I’m reflecting on my short time in ministry. Today I’m thinking about preaching. I remember the first sermon I ever gave, it was sunrise service Easter morning at Good Shepherd Lutheran in Sandy, UT. I was in college and planning on attending seminary after graduation. After I delivered the sermon, I sat down in the pew and cried my eyes out. I felt so privileged to stand in that pulpit. That feeling of privilege and honor hasn’t diminished one bit.

I've found that I can’t write a sermon without prayer. Although too often I try and I hit a block and my sermon feel s dry and lame. That’s usually my reminder that I need to pray. Without fail, every time, I mean every single time, when I ask God for help immediately after an idea will come that breaks open the scripture and allows the writing to flow. Prayer is the foundation of preaching for me. My prayer is usually something like “God, please help me write this sermon. Give me the words you want your people to hear. Help me to understand this scripture. And not just the words, Lord, but give me also the ability to deliver the sermon so that your word goes deep into their hearts and helps them know your love.”

I love preaching. I think it is so fascinating and interesting. There’s so much going on, so many parts, that I imagine when I’m tired of everything else I’ll still want to preach. I love the first part, which is simply studying the scripture. I read the assigned text and just write down all the questions I have about it. Then I ask God to speak to me personally, what does He want to say me. That’s usually when I get convicted. I’ll never forget writing a sermon on forgiveness and feeling God convict me that I was holding a grudge against my Dad. I hadn’t talked to him in 4 years and so I called him that Saturday night and re-established a relationship. The scripture works on me, and it is endlessly interesting to me.

Of course the next part is figuring out what God wants to say to His people through me through this scripture. When I’m figuring out a sermon I’m thinking of individuals. Often I actually write the sermon with only one person in mind(and half the time they don’t show up to church that week!) I am working to balance my theological training, with pastoral care issues with the state of the world and the news and make it something that people actually will hear and be impacted by.

And then there’s the actual preaching of the sermon which is a whole other ball game. The Holy Spirit fills you up and you start preaching and you can see the words falling on different people in different ways. And so there’s the mid-sermon audible to take it a slightly different direction or add a line or delete a certain line or emphasize a particular point in response to what you see the Spirit doing.

And it’s still not done. Because now the people get a chance to respond. Most of them don’t tell you(really) what they felt about the sermon. Which is fine, because it’s meant to be a vehicle through which God does His work and often God’s just uses a word or a line or a story to spin off a whole different idea in a person’s mind and heart and speak just to them. Sometimes people will tell me that it really spoke to them, and that is very gratifying. I’m a sucker for compliments—it’s probably a flaw of mine, but it’s true. The handshake line at the end of church feels like my report card.

Writing a sermon is like creating a piece of art. As the artist I’m never fully satisfied, and it’s never out of my mind until I’m working on the next one. I’ll go home and ask my wife what she thought. She gets tired of me asking and I’m learning not to ask. Because really me asking that question turns the sermon into something about me rather than something God used to do something. It diminishes it. but I still want to know, I want credit. Forgive me. And then Sunday night I’ll rehearse the words in my head and wonder if I think I said the right things or not.

I love it. I get excited to preach. I’m never happy with my sermon before I preach it. I’m so glad I get to do this. And I’m amazed that God would deign to do anything in someone’s life through my preaching.

I’ve been preaching for 10 years now. I don’t know if I’m getting any better at it. I remember preaching my first sermon at my first congregation, Our Redeemer’s in Helena Montana. It was a good sermon(by which I mean it was well received) afterwards my senior pastor congratulated me and said that I was going to have a hard time topping that. I worried about that for a minute, but I think the way I preached that day is how I’ve preached every day.

I tend to use a lot of personal stories. I follow my professors advice and make sure I’m never the hero of the story, but usually the stooge(which isn’t hard to do!). And half the time I’m preaching to myself and the things I know I need to hear. I need to hear that God loves me, that he really does, even though I don’t think he does, he does. And I figure other’s need to hear that too. I assume I’m not all that different than the people I’m preaching too.

Being a preacher shapes the way you look at life. Everything is spiritual. I see every experience through the eyes of a preacher and am always wondering ‘if that will preach.’ And it usually does.

It’s a lot of work, preaching. It’s fascinating how tired I am after I preach. I usually am buzzed for about an hour and then I crash hard, especially if it was an emotional sermon. I put my whole self into a sermon. I love it, probably more than anything else I do as a pastor.

10 years of ministry, reflection1

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 16:52:00 +0000

On Wednesday, October 16^th I will have been an ordained pastor for 10 years. I want to take some time each day this week to reflect on this ministry that I've been called to. We’ll see how it goes, since it’s hard to find any time to reflect and write these days, but I’m planning on using my lunch hour as much as possible. It will be stream of consciousness for the most part. Beware J

One thing I’m not sure people understand is how much I think about the people of my congregation. I’m pretty sure I think about them a lot more than they think about me. I worry about their families. I think of those struggling with marriage, those going through divorce, those whose kids are giving them fits. I think about those who are dying or working to get better from an illness. I think about folks who are hard at work and struggling to make ends meat. I think about people all day long and at night. I love these people and I want good things for them and I pray for them and it consumes me.

At my first congregation there wasn't a lot of movement in and out of the congregation. We had new members, but I don’t remember too many people moving away. I counted on people being there, serving, being a part of the body. It floored me when we had a conflict and lost several members. I can’t even remember what the problem was. But I agonized over them. It always bothers me deeply when people leave the church. It just seems so wrong.

In my current congregation people move ALL THE DAMN TIME and I hate it. I hate it because I love them and invest in them and count on them and then they are gone. Maybe there’s some psychological problem I have, some failure to differentiate. Who knows? But I have a hard time when people leave. But the worst are those people who drift away, who just stop coming. Not for any conflict. Not because they have moved. Who knows why? Maybe that’s what gets me. I reach out and I get bland responses promising to return. I worry about them. I worry about them not having a church, not having people to pray with them or help them grow. I worry about when they have weddings or baptisms or funerals and have some generic service done by someone who knows nothing about them who can’t speak deeply into their lives. I can’t seem to let them go.

But 10 years into this thing called ordained ministry it’s the people that are first on my mind. I’m surprised how much space they occupy in my life and I know they have no idea. Which is the way it should be. I just hope I’ve played some positive role in their life. I hope they spend a little more time thinking about God and who they are as His children because of my work among them. I hope they love God a little more and pray a little more. I hope they trust the One who made them and seek to do His will.

Which makes me think of my pastors growing up. Robin Dugall, Jim Munter, Jeff Nellermoe . These guys taught me about God and about God’s word. I’m very grateful for their ministry. I think about them a lot too and their ministry to me takes on a whole new light at I minister to others. I remember their sermons too, well probably only a handful. I remember Pastor Jim cutting up an apple for a stewardship sermon. I remember Pastor Jeff sharing stories of helping a guy at gas station and another one about coming to a crossroads decision about Noah’s ark and I’ll never forget him teaching me to read the gospel of John. I’m so grateful for my pastors!

I read the Bible differently now too. When I read Paul’s letters to congregations I get what he’s saying. I can imagine writing those words myself “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you…” “I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love Christ…” “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you.” Yeah, I get that. Constantly praying. Wanting desperately for people to know God’s love. Never knowing for sure if they do.

I think I’m becoming more aware the role I play in the lives of others. That at the end of my career, I won’t have anything to show, really. I probably won’t have some huge church or grand ministry or sprawling campus to point to. And if I did, it wouldn't be the thing to point to anyway! What I suspect I’ll have 30 years from now is a greater respect for how small I am and how great God is. I imagine that at the end I’ll just be grateful for the chance to nudge people along in the grace of God as we travel the road together.

People. That’s what I think about after 10 years. God bless ‘em!

Holy Trinity Sunday 2013

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Tue, 28 May 2013 17:21:00 +0000

Holy Trinity Sunday, 2013. Romans 5

Pentecost 2013

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Tue, 28 May 2013 17:21:00 +0000

Pentecost 2013 Sermon

Psalm 23

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:39:00 +0000

Palm 23. April 21, 2013

Creation

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:35:00 +0000

Genesis

When I was in 9^th grade

I wrote a paper chastising my biology teacher

for teaching evolution in her class

I had just been confirmed in my church

and really wanted to live out my faith

And somewhere I had picked up the idea

that evolution was an attack on my Christian faith

I was determined to defend my faith and the Bible

against what I saw as the onslaught of cultural forces

So I wrote a scathing paper

refusing to answer questions on evolution

while sharply criticizing my teacher for teaching such nonsense

My biology teacher was kind and understanding

and wise enough not to take the bait

I think she even gave me a B for the paper

She was just doing her job

teaching the science of the day

with no agenda regarding my faith

I hadn’t really though through

what evolution was or wasn’t

I just knew that as a Christian I was supposed to be against it.

In my youth I got swept up

in the culture wars

Like a child soldier

who doesn’t know why he’s fighting

just that the enemy is evil and it’s his job to vanquish them

But I was wrong

maybe not in my zealous desire to defend the faith

but I was wrong to think

that science was the enemy of faith

In the past several decades

Christians in America have drawn battle lines over the bible

They have politicized it and unwittingly

and hopefully unintentionally

confused our reading of Scripture

As a result, when we read the story of creation

our minds naturally go to these battle lines

The debate over evolution

same sex marriage

and the age of the earth

Are all red herrings

that throw us off the trail of the Bible’s message

We miss hearing what scripture is trying to say

because we’ve been culturally conditioned to read this story

through the lens of political battle lines

You know the term ‘Red Herring’?

It’s a term used to describe a logical fallacy

It comes from an old trick used by bandits or criminals

to throw bloodhounds off their trail

They would take a fish—a red herring---

and throw it down a trail going the opposite way

In hopes that the bloodhounds chasing them

would lead the police toward the herring

so they could escape capture

These political debates

centered on the book of Genesis

are the devil’s red herring

If he can get us to argue about science vs. religion

then we won’t hear the good news of the creation account

And as bonus

the devil can make sure non-believers will be turned off altogether

from the stench of our arguments

Last week I made a strong statement

that got a lot of your attention

I said that Jesus and not the bible

is the blueprint for us to follow

Not that the Bible isn’t of extreme importance to us

it is very important, it is the manger in which Christ is laid

But Jesus is the one we follow

and He is our guide to reading the bible

I’m doubling down on that statement

when we give up trying to defend the Bible

and instead focus on reading it and letting it point us to Jesus

We can slip out of all these pointless debates

and fall in love with scripture again

as God uses it to open us up to a relationship with Him

the bible is not a science book

and we don’t need it to be

When you read the first two chapter of Genesis

you run into a huge contradiction right off the bat

one that was put there intentionally

There are two accounts of the creation story in Genesis

You find not one, but two accounts of creation

that when read together clearly contradict each other

If we read them as science

there is no way to reconcile the stories

In the first story

lights and plants and stars and sun and animals come first

The last thing created is humans

but in the second account the story is almost completely reversed

starting in Genesis 2:4

it says that before there were any plants

God knelt in the dust and made a man

and breathed life into him

then God planted a Garden

and made animals

and gave them to the man to take care of

So the man comes first

in one story and last in another

As a science book

that doesn’t add up

If we’re talking science

we have to decide which story is accurate

and which story to reject

But the author of Genesis

wasn’t writing a science book

He knew that the two stories contradicted

and still chose to put them back to back at the very beginning of the story

So right of the bat we know something about the Bible

We know that the Bible is NOT interested in scientific questions

that’s not what it’s about

Clearly there is some larger truth

that we need to pay attention to

There’s a larger truth

about God and his creation

that the Biblical author is making

In the first story God says “Let us make humankind in our image—according to our likeness

and let them have dominion over every living thing”

In the second story God creates the man first

plants a garden and puts the man in the garden

He gives him the responsibility to till it and keep it

then God makes the animals and brings them to the man

to name each one of them

Do you see a common theme

a red thread that connects these two stories

Do you see the larger truth

that Genesis is making

The story of creation is about our identity

who we are and who we are meant to be

as the ones God has created

We are God’s crowning achievement

made in his image

We are given the earth and all that is in it

to care for, to keep and to protect

We are given a special identity as God’s image bearers

his representatives on earth

This is who we are!

When we tell the Christian story

to a world that increasingly doesn’t know even the basics

This is where we need to start

not with silly arguments about evolution and Big bangs

But with the deep truth about humanity

that we were created in the very image of God

that He has great intentions for us

I remember doing a stump the pastor event

at my previous congregation

Fifty teenagers piled into the youth room

and our youth director challenged them

to ask me anything they wanted about the faith

After a minute of awkward silence

one young man, Matt Bacon, a great kid always joking

threw his hand up in the air

thinking he had the ultimate question

that would stump me and get his friends laughing

He asked me “Pastor, what is the purpose of life”

Everybody laughed

not taking the question seriously

and the kid was pretty proud of himself for breaking the ice

But I took his question seriously

and gave him an answer

I answered him

to reclaim the night so they would take it seriously

but also because Christians actually have an answer to that big question

The answer comes to us from Genesis

The purpose of life is to bear God’s image in the world

to live in relationship with God

and represent God on the earth in all we say and do

I’ll say it again…

God made us in his image

and he directed us to rule, to be in charge

not in some dictator way of the fallen world

But as good stewards

taking care of the garden and the animals

watching out for creation

We are called to represent God

in all aspects of our life

In how we care for each other

praying for one another

offering support and meeting needs

In our relationships

marking them with humble service

forgiveness and love

and to represent him

just by being the marvelous creatures

he has called us to be

Last Monday we remembered

our dear friend Pat Blaker who died the first week of January

As we remembered her

we learned that she was someone who lived out God’s purpose in life

She cared served her family

she served her community

and she served her church well

She was a shining example

of someone who bore God’s image

and lived a life in His name

We will miss her greatly

and I think we who knew her would do well

to imitate her life as she imitated Christ’s

There’s a great quote I love

by Marianne Williamson

She writes “we ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world…We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us;”

How many of us have stood in awe

at a star filled night

overlooking the ocean, listening to the saves

How many of us have been overcome in a moment

watching a beautiful sunrise or sunset

At our Tuesday morning bible study

Louise Walker shared about a visit to the Grand Canyon

How there was all this chatter on the trail leading up to the viewing area

but upon seeing the Grand Canyon there was a hush that came over them

as they stood in silent awe at the incredible sight

Well I ask you

when was the last time you looked at a person

with that same sense of awe and wonder

When was the last time

someone looked at you

overcome with your beauty, with the wonder of who you are?

Can you see yourself through God’s eyes

can you see each other as His work of art?

Humans are God’s masterpiece

a cut above the rest of creation

We gape at the beauty of the earth

and praise God for all he has made

and rightly so

But you yourselves

each one of you

are made in the image of God

Look at the person sitting next to you

you are sitting in the presence of a masterpiece

Worthy of the same jaw dropping gapes of respect and appreciation

we normally reserve for the wonders of the world

This is the start of the Christian story

this is what the world needs to hear

from the book of Genesis and from us

Tell your non believing friends and family

“ do you know that in God’s eyes you are more beautiful that a sunrise

and more amazing than the milky way

You are beautiful, amazing, a miracle

given great dignity and responsibility

to bear God’s image in all the world

this is the beginning of the story

Now, it’s not hard to see

that things have not remained

as God intended them from the start

We have fallen from this original image bearing relationship with God

We no longer look at one another

as divine masterpieces

The effects of sin are enormous

that human choice to trust in ourselves over God

has had disastrous consequences

Not just for our own relationships

but our relationship with the earth and its creatures as well

But it was our relationship with God

that took the biggest hit

Rather than living in security

that comes with God walking with us

We live in fear and shame

rather than faith and honor

When we pulled away from God

we started dying

But the minute God’s beautiful creation

started to crumble because of our sin

God went to work

saving us

He finds us hiding in shame

feeling vulnerable and naked

because we’ve lost our identity

in our sin we have forgotten who we are

God sacrifices animals

to make leather clothing for Adam and eve

to protect them in the new world that they have put themselves at odds with

This sacrifice and clothing

prefigures the sacrifice that Jesus would make later

when he gave his own flesh and blood

in order to provide spiritual clothing for us

And now when we are baptized

we are clothed with Christ

and our identity is restored

There’s a reason we have that baptismal font

right at the entrance of the church

Because we go out from here every week

into a world that has forgotten

who they are as Children of God

and what they called to do as His Image Bearers

And we ourselves forget

as we are sold countless counterfeit identities

We are told that our identity

is grounded in what we produce

or in what we consume

That we’re only as good as our last sale

or success

So we put the baptismal font at the front of the church

so when we return to this space for worship

We can be reminded

that we are clothed with Christ

and are children of God

We are God’s masterpiece

forgiven, cleansed, and filled with Holy Dignity

We are the ones God has made in his own image

destined to represent him in this world

So next time you dip your finger in that water

and trace the sign of the cross on your forehead

Stand up tall

straighten up your shoulders

as the burdens of the world are taken from by God

Let the light return to your eyes

and remember who you are

you are God’s very own

He loves you, He made you, He died for you

And in His eyes

you are his beloved child

Luke 13:31-36

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:22:00 +0000

February 24th sermon on Luke 13:31-36

God's Blueprints: Problem of Pain

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:07:00 +0000

God's Blueprints: Problem of Pain

God's Blueprints: Old Testament Laws

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:06:00 +0000

God's Blueprints: Old Testament Laws

God's Blueprints: Abraham

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 01:47:00 +0000

January 20, 2013 Sermon on Abraham.

December 23, 2012

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 17:56:00 +0000

December 23, 2012 Sermon

December 9, 2012 Sermon

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 02:51:00 +0000

December 9, 2012 Sermon

December 2, 2012 Sermon

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 02:49:00 +0000

December 2, 2012 Sermon

November 18, 2012 Sermon

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 21:00:00 +0000

November 18, 2012 sermon on Mark 13:1-8

Isaiah 53 & Mark 10

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 01:58:00 +0000

Sermon on Isaiah 53 & Mark 10

Sermon on Mark 10:17-31

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 01:37:00 +0000

October 14, 2012 Sermon on Mark 10:17-31

Mark 9:38-50

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 01:52:00 +0000

September 30, 2012 Sermon on Mark 9

Mark 9 -Who Is The Greatest

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 01:50:00 +0000

September 23, 2012 Sermon on Mark 9

Mark 8

pastortravis@communityinchrist.net (Travis Norton) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 01:49:00 +0000

September 16, 2012 Sermon on Mark 8