“Wisdom, Vision, and Finance”

(November 8, 2009) In this sermon, we take a more practical look at some of the ways to curb our prodigal nature (our wasting and spending). But for any of these practical things to matter, we need to first know what our vision is. Like the prodigal child, when we have no sense of who we want to be, we wander aimlessly. When we have a vision– a vision for ourselves, for our communities, for our churches and organizations– then we can begin to make wise decisions, using all of the tools at our disposal, including the monetary tools, to achieve our life’s purpose. (Luke 15:11-32)

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Part two in a series addressing faith and finances, based upon the study and program series “Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity” by Adam Hamilton. Statistics, quotes, and general outlines are taken from that work and used with permission. I of course add my own interpretation. Sermon titles include: “When Dreams Become Nightmares,” “Wisdom, Vision, and Finance,” “Cultivating Contentment,” and “Defined by Generosity.”

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and that’s one of the longer sermons I’ve ever preached. so far, only one person complained…

“When Dreams Become Nightmares”

(November 1, 2009) We think we want to live the “American Dream,” but we see that all too often and far too easily, this dream becomes an unsustainable nightmare. That’s because it is a false promise, that money– the love of it, the protection of its bottom line– is what will make us happy and successful. We fall into a trap as individuals and as churches, buying into this worldview. There is another, competing vision out there, a different dream for us, and that is to live into God’s dream, Gods vision. This life-giving dream is to be people focused first and foremost on God, and requires a change of heart. Fortunately, when it comes to changes of heart, God happens to specialize. (1Timothy 6:6-19)

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Part one in a series addressing faith and finances, based upon the study and program series “Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity” by Adam Hamilton. Statistics, quotes, and general outlines are taken from that work and used with permission. I of course add my own interpretation. Sermon titles include: “When Dreams Become Nightmares,” “Wisdom, Vision, and Finance,” “Cultivating Contentment,” and “Defined by Generosity.”

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Hey, any time I can get Vermonters to vocalize ‘Amen’ in the middle of a sermon, I consider my work well done!

“My Ways are not Your Ways”

(October 18, 2009) Often, we attribute to God human-like attributes: not just flesh and hair and gender, but limited loving, justice, or forgiveness. God reminds us that especially when it comes to provision, new life, and forgiveness (which we might just sum up as grace), God does not fit inside our tiny human boxes. (Job 38:1-7, 34-41, Mark 10:35-45, Isaiah 55:1-9)

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in this sermon, I make reference to a puzzle of unknown (to me) origin: connected four dots using three straight lines to create one enclosed shape.

answer:

think outside the box.

“Rethink Church, Reboot Church: Live Out Loud”

(October 11, 2009) We conclude the sermon series examining the practices of the early church in Acts 2:42-47, using their example as a starting point for ways we might not only rethink church but “reboot” it by going back to the beginning. The early church did indeed preach the Gospel, but did so mostly with the examples they set with their lives. What if we considered preaching to look less like street-corner evangelism or pastors in pulpits and more like workers in soup kitchens and health clinics and house-building projects? In what ways is God calling you to take what you believe and live it out loud? (Acts 2:42-47, James 2:14-26, Matthew 5:13-16)

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part four of a four-part series, “Rethink Church, Reboot Church,” examining the practices of the early church: pooling resources to meet needs, observing a daily discipline of worship, eating together as celebration, and living the message with their lives.

series graphic my own design; pictures from stock exchange; Learn more about The United Methodist Church’s journey to “Rethink Church” at www.10thousanddoors.org.

“Rethink Church, Reboot Church Every Meal a Celebration”

(October 4, 2009) We continue the sermon series examining the practices of the early church in Acts 2:42-47, using their example as a starting point for ways we might not only rethink church but “reboot” it by going back to the beginning. This week, we find that the first Christians regularly ate together, celebrating as they did so the presence and blessing of God. On this World Communion Sunday, how do we give thanks and celebrate God not only at the communion table, but every time we gather for a meal?  (Acts 2:42-47, 1 Corinthians 11:17-26, Luke 24:13-35)

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part three of a four-part series, “Rethink Church, Reboot Church,” examining the practices of the early church: pooling resources to meet needs, observing a daily discipline of worship, eating together as celebration, and living the message with their lives.

series graphic my own design; pictures from stock exchange; Learn more about The United Methodist Church’s journey to “Rethink Church” at www.10thousanddoors.org.

“Rethink Church, Reboot Church: Everything in Common”

(September 20, 2009) We begin a sermon series examining the practices of the early church in Acts 2:42-47, using their example as a starting point for ways we might not only rethink church but “reboot” it by going back to the beginning. We learn in Acts 2 that the first Christians held everything in common, pooling their resources so every need was met. How might we rise to this difficult challenge? What does it mean to live together in community globally, nationally, locally, within our churches and homes? (Acts 2:42-47, Deuteronomy 15:7-11, Mark 10:17-31)

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part one of a four-part series, “Rethink Church, Reboot Church,” examining the practices of the early church: pooling resources to meet needs, observing a daily discipline of worship, eating together as celebration, and living the message with their lives.

series graphic my own design; pictures from stock exchange; Learn more about The United Methodist Church’s journey to “Rethink Church” at www.10thousanddoors.org.

“Crumbs of Grace”

(September 6, 2009) We discover in this passage–one of my favorites!– something wonderful about God’s grace: that it is poured out even and especially on those most broken, most desperate, most in need of blessing. We also discover something true about ourselves and who we are to be as a church: we are a community of broken, hurting, desperate people, not a place for folks who have their lives together. We are a place where it is okay to doubt, to hurt, to question, to be ourselves, and together seek God’s abundant grace in even the smallest crumbs that fall from the table. (Mark 7:24-37, and a James 2:1-10, 14-17).

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In this sermon, I reference the book My Red Couch: And Other Stories on Seeking a Feminist Faith, by Claire Bischoff and Rachel Gaffron, eds.

Also, this is one of my favorite texts, and one of my favorite opportunities to talk about who we are as church. I think maybe that comes across.