Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Advent II: Hope

This Sunday we hear the cry of John the Baptist, calling us to repent.  I wrestle with repentance and hope in this sermon. (Note I begin the service wearing a purple stole and end wearing a blue stole)



Advent I: Focusing on Christ

December. Christmas. The busiest time of year! It can be such an exhausting time of year. How do we fill our hearts with the love, joy and peace of Christ and not just all the "stuff" of Christmas? Advent, Advent Wreaths and Prayer.

Christ the King: Unlike any other

On this Sunday our church celebrated Christ the King Sunday. Before we focus on Jesus as a baby in Advent and Christmas, we remember him as the Triumphant King who rules for all time, having defeated death and sin. Today we focus on how Christ is a King unlike any other king or queen who has ever ruled on earth.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Reformation of Prayer

499 years ago, Martin Luther began what would be known as the Protestant Reformation.  In this sermon, Pastor Rob briefly reflects on the implications of the Reformation for prayer in the medieval times.  The bulk of the sermon ponders how the Holy Spirit may again be calling us into a Reformation, specifically in how we pray.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Stewardship Three: Our Common Trust

In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls us to "Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:13-16)."  In this sermon, Pastor Rob reflects on the purposes of our life, both as individuals and as a congregation..

Stewardship Two: Our Hope (even in this election season)

​This week we hear the story of a man named Jacob who wrestles with God (Genesis 32:22-31).  Our nation is wrestling with a very bitter and divisive national election.  All of this on a Sunday in which we were hoping to speak about hope!  Yet in the wrestling with this story from Genesis and even in our wrestling with election, we find our deepest hope in Christ. 

Stewardship One: Thanking God!

Jesus heals ten men; only one comes back to give thanks!  (Luke 17:11-19).  Kicking off a preaching series on Stewardship, Pastor Rob focuses on thanksgiving, especially for the ministry at St. Paul.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Increase OUR Faith

Pastor Rob ponders the prayer of the disciples: increase our faith (Luke 17:5-10).  This is frequently our prayer as we go through life's ups and downs.  So where do we get more faith?  To answer that question we consider how our culture's focus on a personal relationship with Christ means we often miss the communal dimension of faith.  There is a great abundance of faith  when we turn to the community.  We explore the power and nature at this communal sense of faith by reflecting on Saint Paul's words in his second letter to Timothy.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Loving people, using things!

Jesus tells a truly haunting parable, in which little mercy seems to be found (Lazarus and the Rich Man, Luke 16:19-31).  While we will get to the mercy of Jesus, we first have to confront the basic problem identified by Jesus:  Sin makes us love things and use people! 

Who is this Shepherd

This week we hear one of Jesus' great parables:  The lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7).  The parable really isn't about sheep though -- its about the Good Shepherd who finds us when we are lost.

Thursday, September 1, 2016

David and Bathsheba

Pastor Rob takes a hard look at the story of David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12).  David sins greatly.  How does God's justice and mercy pour out into David's life?  Into your and my life?

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Pastor Rob talks about compassion, what this means and what this looks like in our life today.  How does compassion guide our decisions in life?

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

He is Risen!

He is Risen!  On Easter we are ready for joyful celebration; yet we encounter scenes of grief and doubt.  Where is the good news?

What is healthy about Zion's

As Pastor Rob announces he is leaving, he reflects on the strengths of the ministry at Zion's.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

What kind of church shall we be

What kind of church shall we be?  Jesus today encounters two people in need of his powerful love.  In these encounters we find the blueprint of what kind of church we are called to be.

Parable of the seeds

For this teaching sermon, you may want to look at the notes found here:  http://www.zionsjonestown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Sowing-Seeds-Sermon-Notes.pdf

Baptism and Safe Space

Baptism is about repentance.  How do we actually experience God's change in our lives?

Magic of Christmas

Of course as a pastor, I don't like to talk about magic.  But there isn't something "magical" about Christmas.  What is it?

Christmas Gift of Fear?

Is fear a gift of Christmas?  Fear isn't something we talk about at Christmas.  But it lurks in words of the Christmas story in the Bible.  What to do with fear?

It is almost Christmas

Its a few days until Christmas.  Will everything get done for Christmas?  What is the true meaing of Christmas anyway?