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PENTECOST - LIVING WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH LUKE'S GOSPEL
JUNE 9 - November 24, 2019
November 24, 2019 - Christ the King Sunday - Thanksgiving
"Guided by Luke: The King of Sinners and Criminals"
Scripture: Luke 23:5-23
This past Sunday, we celebrated our traditional Puritan-style Thanksgiving service. We do the service in the style of the Puritans of the mid- to late-1600s. There is much the original Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans would have been horrified by in our modern services, but there is much they would have appreciated as well. The sovereignty of Christ is what Christ the King Sunday is all about, and that is a very Puritan idea.
Since we do the service so differently on Thanksgiving Sunday, I completely forgot to record the sermon, but the PDF is attached above.
Enjoy!
Also, this is the end of Pentecost! See you next Sunday in Advent, and Year A.
"Guided by Luke: The King of Sinners and Criminals"
Scripture: Luke 23:5-23
This past Sunday, we celebrated our traditional Puritan-style Thanksgiving service. We do the service in the style of the Puritans of the mid- to late-1600s. There is much the original Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans would have been horrified by in our modern services, but there is much they would have appreciated as well. The sovereignty of Christ is what Christ the King Sunday is all about, and that is a very Puritan idea.
Since we do the service so differently on Thanksgiving Sunday, I completely forgot to record the sermon, but the PDF is attached above.
Enjoy!
Also, this is the end of Pentecost! See you next Sunday in Advent, and Year A.
November 17, 2019 - Pentecost 23C
"Guided by Luke: The Meaning that Makes Us"
Scripture: Luke 21:5-28
Meaning can be made by us, or meaning can be brought to us through various agencies and entities. With Jesus, the meaning of things can get very "timey-wimey and wibbly-wobbly", to quote Dr. Who, especially when he gets all apocalyptic with us, as he does in our reading today.
How do we follow Jesus when every indication suggests that the world is ending - yet again?
The PDF and the Audio are both available!
Peace and grace. Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: The Meaning that Makes Us"
Scripture: Luke 21:5-28
Meaning can be made by us, or meaning can be brought to us through various agencies and entities. With Jesus, the meaning of things can get very "timey-wimey and wibbly-wobbly", to quote Dr. Who, especially when he gets all apocalyptic with us, as he does in our reading today.
How do we follow Jesus when every indication suggests that the world is ending - yet again?
The PDF and the Audio are both available!
Peace and grace. Pastor Seth
November 10, 2019 - Pentecost 22C
"Guided by Luke: Asking Questions that Don't Matter" - Ed Gabrielsen, Pastoral Intern
Scripture: Exodus 15:20; Amos 7:12; Luke 20:27-40
We had the pleasure of hearing our intern, Ed Gabrielsen, preach on the absurd question the Saducees ask Jesus about marriage. Enjoy Ed's good word on these verses, and his exceptional singing at the end of the sermon.
Audio below!
Peace to all, Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: Asking Questions that Don't Matter" - Ed Gabrielsen, Pastoral Intern
Scripture: Exodus 15:20; Amos 7:12; Luke 20:27-40
We had the pleasure of hearing our intern, Ed Gabrielsen, preach on the absurd question the Saducees ask Jesus about marriage. Enjoy Ed's good word on these verses, and his exceptional singing at the end of the sermon.
Audio below!
Peace to all, Pastor Seth
November 3, 2019 - Pentecost 21C
"Guided by Luke: Higher Ground"
Scripture: Luke 19: 1-10
Jesus comes to the end of his long walk to Jerusalem that he began way back in Luke 9. He ends up in Jericho, a fortress/village/city that has been in existence in one way or another for over 11,000 years. Here, he meets Zaccheus, another tax collector.
This story is a symbolic and semiotic wonderland, with resonant images and ideas reaching all the way back to the beginning of Genesis.
Enjoy the audio!
Peace and grace, Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: Higher Ground"
Scripture: Luke 19: 1-10
Jesus comes to the end of his long walk to Jerusalem that he began way back in Luke 9. He ends up in Jericho, a fortress/village/city that has been in existence in one way or another for over 11,000 years. Here, he meets Zaccheus, another tax collector.
This story is a symbolic and semiotic wonderland, with resonant images and ideas reaching all the way back to the beginning of Genesis.
Enjoy the audio!
Peace and grace, Pastor Seth
October 27, 2019 - Pentecost 20C
"Guided by Luke: Them!"
Scripture: Luke 18:9-14
Self-righteous creates contempt, and contempt allows us to distance ourselves from the Other.
There are many directions to take the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector who meet each other in the Temple. Jesus is setting a trap here for us today, and getting out of it is easier than not getting caught in it.
The PDF and audio are both available today.
Peace and grace to all!
Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: Them!"
Scripture: Luke 18:9-14
Self-righteous creates contempt, and contempt allows us to distance ourselves from the Other.
There are many directions to take the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector who meet each other in the Temple. Jesus is setting a trap here for us today, and getting out of it is easier than not getting caught in it.
The PDF and audio are both available today.
Peace and grace to all!
Pastor Seth
October 20, 2019 - Pentecost 19C
"Guided by Luke: The Incredibly Annoying Persistence of the Needy Believer"
Scripture: Luke 18:1-8
Jesus presents us with another parable today, this time about "the need to pray always and not giving up". The widow is persistent, and the judge is unjust. Simple enough, but there are some interesting things going on here that have meaning for us today. Justice, boxing, and delusional thinking.
Enjoy!
Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: The Incredibly Annoying Persistence of the Needy Believer"
Scripture: Luke 18:1-8
Jesus presents us with another parable today, this time about "the need to pray always and not giving up". The widow is persistent, and the judge is unjust. Simple enough, but there are some interesting things going on here that have meaning for us today. Justice, boxing, and delusional thinking.
Enjoy!
Pastor Seth
October 13, 2019 - Pentecost 18C
"Guided by Luke: The Turning Point"
Scripture: Luke 17:11-19
This morning, we had the pleasure of hearing from our seminary intern, Ed Gabrielsen, who preached on the 10 lepers who were healed by Jesus.
Thank you, Ed!
Please listen below!
Peace to all, Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: The Turning Point"
Scripture: Luke 17:11-19
This morning, we had the pleasure of hearing from our seminary intern, Ed Gabrielsen, who preached on the 10 lepers who were healed by Jesus.
Thank you, Ed!
Please listen below!
Peace to all, Pastor Seth
October 6, 2019 - Pentecost 17C
"Guided by Luke: The Small Things of Faith"
Scripture: Luke 17:1-10
Luke gives us some breathing room from all the parables about wealth and eternal decisions and all the demands. Today, we get a few sayings tossed together as a transition to the continuation along the road to Jerusalem. But they are also not easy sayings. It is difficult enough that the disciples say, "Increase our faith!"
Jesus has some things to say about that!
Enjoy the PDF and the audio.
Peace! Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: The Small Things of Faith"
Scripture: Luke 17:1-10
Luke gives us some breathing room from all the parables about wealth and eternal decisions and all the demands. Today, we get a few sayings tossed together as a transition to the continuation along the road to Jerusalem. But they are also not easy sayings. It is difficult enough that the disciples say, "Increase our faith!"
Jesus has some things to say about that!
Enjoy the PDF and the audio.
Peace! Pastor Seth
September 29, 2019 - Pentecost 16C
"Guided by Luke: The Spiritual Wealth Gap"
Scripture: Luke 16:19-31
Today we continue with Jesus' parables about wealth and how we use it. This is the culmination of several increasingly difficult stories about money and how we use it in our world. Jesus, I believe, is calling us to spiritual priorities, focusing on the individual rather than systems, and the need to be always 'crossing over'. But none of this is easy, and today's parable makes following Jesus a total commitment to God's love and promise.
I have posted a PDF of the sermon above and the audio below.
Peace to you! Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: The Spiritual Wealth Gap"
Scripture: Luke 16:19-31
Today we continue with Jesus' parables about wealth and how we use it. This is the culmination of several increasingly difficult stories about money and how we use it in our world. Jesus, I believe, is calling us to spiritual priorities, focusing on the individual rather than systems, and the need to be always 'crossing over'. But none of this is easy, and today's parable makes following Jesus a total commitment to God's love and promise.
I have posted a PDF of the sermon above and the audio below.
Peace to you! Pastor Seth
September 22, 2019 - Pentecost 15C
"Guided by Luke: Radical Wealth Management"
Scripture: Luke 16:1-13
Jesus throws a hard curveball today in the parable of the Dishonest Manager. Often called Jesus' most difficult parable, there are as many different interpretations as there are commentators and preachers on this story. My interpretation is below. Hopefully, the Holy Spirit was with all of us!
Listening to the sermon today, I realize I could have done more with this at the end, and the next time I preach it, I will likely take a different angle on it. But listen and see what you think!
Peace and grace to all! Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: Radical Wealth Management"
Scripture: Luke 16:1-13
Jesus throws a hard curveball today in the parable of the Dishonest Manager. Often called Jesus' most difficult parable, there are as many different interpretations as there are commentators and preachers on this story. My interpretation is below. Hopefully, the Holy Spirit was with all of us!
Listening to the sermon today, I realize I could have done more with this at the end, and the next time I preach it, I will likely take a different angle on it. But listen and see what you think!
Peace and grace to all! Pastor Seth
September 15, 2019 - Pentecost 14C
"Guided by Luke: The Christ Follower's Lost and Found"
Scripture: Luke 15:1-10
Jesus was an exceptional storyteller. The sign of a great storyteller is that you can come back to even very short stories and find new things in them. This is very true of the Parables of The Lost Sheep and The Lost Coin. Today, I try to come at the stories from a different direction and come up with a reframed and re-signed way of seeing them. Finally, though, they are great stories made even greater by the love of God, the presence of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Peace and grace to all! Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: The Christ Follower's Lost and Found"
Scripture: Luke 15:1-10
Jesus was an exceptional storyteller. The sign of a great storyteller is that you can come back to even very short stories and find new things in them. This is very true of the Parables of The Lost Sheep and The Lost Coin. Today, I try to come at the stories from a different direction and come up with a reframed and re-signed way of seeing them. Finally, though, they are great stories made even greater by the love of God, the presence of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Peace and grace to all! Pastor Seth
September 8, 2019 - Pentecost 13C
"Guided by Luke: The Weird Mathematics of Following Jesus"
Scripture: Luke 14:25-33
Thank you to our student intern from Perkins Theological School, Ed Gabrielsen, for preaching last week.
We will hear from him again soon!
This week, we discussed a really difficult passage from one of Jesus' discourses with the crowd. Jesus uses the word 'hate' for how we are to approach family, home, and possessions. That makes a hard verse that much more difficult. But usually, Jesus means what he says and no amount of manipulation of the language changes the fact that Jesus uses the word 'hate' here. Hopefully, our reflection on the passage clarifies what Jesus means for us in today's church.
There is no manuscript this week; only the audio.
Peace and grace to all! Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: The Weird Mathematics of Following Jesus"
Scripture: Luke 14:25-33
Thank you to our student intern from Perkins Theological School, Ed Gabrielsen, for preaching last week.
We will hear from him again soon!
This week, we discussed a really difficult passage from one of Jesus' discourses with the crowd. Jesus uses the word 'hate' for how we are to approach family, home, and possessions. That makes a hard verse that much more difficult. But usually, Jesus means what he says and no amount of manipulation of the language changes the fact that Jesus uses the word 'hate' here. Hopefully, our reflection on the passage clarifies what Jesus means for us in today's church.
There is no manuscript this week; only the audio.
Peace and grace to all! Pastor Seth
August 25, 2019 - Pentecost 11C
"Guided by Luke: Bent and Straightened" - Luke 13:10-17
Joe vs. The Volcano, the first Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks vehicle, is one of my all time favorite movies. Kate and I have watched it probably 25 times. The link between the movie and the Scripture reading today is the bent path we are all on, and the desire to be free from those things that bend us. Jesus intervenes today for the woman that has been bent over for 18 years. Healing is available, even if we aren't looking for it. Enjoy the audio this week! Peace and grace, Pastor Seth.
"Guided by Luke: Bent and Straightened" - Luke 13:10-17
Joe vs. The Volcano, the first Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks vehicle, is one of my all time favorite movies. Kate and I have watched it probably 25 times. The link between the movie and the Scripture reading today is the bent path we are all on, and the desire to be free from those things that bend us. Jesus intervenes today for the woman that has been bent over for 18 years. Healing is available, even if we aren't looking for it. Enjoy the audio this week! Peace and grace, Pastor Seth.
August 18, 2019 - Pentecost 10C
"Guided by Luke: Standing on Edge while Following Jesus"
Scripture: Luke 12:42-56
Jesus goes hard this week and puts everybody on edge. He wants to see the world lit on fire. He says his presence will divide houses. He lambastes the disciples as hypocrites.
How are we to hear this, we Americans who try to follow Jesus?
PDF and audio are available by clicking on the sermon title and clicking play below.
Peace and grace to all! Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: Standing on Edge while Following Jesus"
Scripture: Luke 12:42-56
Jesus goes hard this week and puts everybody on edge. He wants to see the world lit on fire. He says his presence will divide houses. He lambastes the disciples as hypocrites.
How are we to hear this, we Americans who try to follow Jesus?
PDF and audio are available by clicking on the sermon title and clicking play below.
Peace and grace to all! Pastor Seth
August 11, 2019 - Pentecost 9C
"Guided by Luke: Dressing for Action"
Scripture: Luke 12:22-40
The closer we get to Jerusalem, the more difficult Jesus' parables and sayings get. This week is no different. We are so used to the Gospel stories and the sayings that we often miss how destabilizing and revolutionary they actually are. Today, we learn about what it means to Be Ready for the coming of the Lord's Kingdom.
Enjoy the audio and the PDF!
Peace and blessings to you all, Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: Dressing for Action"
Scripture: Luke 12:22-40
The closer we get to Jerusalem, the more difficult Jesus' parables and sayings get. This week is no different. We are so used to the Gospel stories and the sayings that we often miss how destabilizing and revolutionary they actually are. Today, we learn about what it means to Be Ready for the coming of the Lord's Kingdom.
Enjoy the audio and the PDF!
Peace and blessings to you all, Pastor Seth
August 4, 2019 - Pentecost 8C
"Guided by Luke: Relax! Eat, Drink, and Be Merry"
Scripture: Luke 12:13-21
Jesus creates all kinds of problems with his parables. Like in today's account, Jesus makes a pithy, simple statement about greed (covetousness is probably a better word here). He could have just stopped there and everyone would be satisfied, and think of Jesus as a good teacher. But then he goes and tells a parable about a Rich Fool...and now there are questions. There is some required self-reflection. There are spiraling definitions of what we thought were easy vices to identify. Jesus messes everything up, doesn't he?
Enjoy the audio and the PDF.
Peace and grace to you! Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: Relax! Eat, Drink, and Be Merry"
Scripture: Luke 12:13-21
Jesus creates all kinds of problems with his parables. Like in today's account, Jesus makes a pithy, simple statement about greed (covetousness is probably a better word here). He could have just stopped there and everyone would be satisfied, and think of Jesus as a good teacher. But then he goes and tells a parable about a Rich Fool...and now there are questions. There is some required self-reflection. There are spiraling definitions of what we thought were easy vices to identify. Jesus messes everything up, doesn't he?
Enjoy the audio and the PDF.
Peace and grace to you! Pastor Seth
July 28, 2019 - Pentecost 7C
"Guided by Luke: Prayers, Snakes, and Scorpions"
Scripture: Luke 11:1-13
It has been said by many a theologian, show me how someone prays, and I will tell you what they believe about God. Prayer is as much about the character of God as it is about what we are actually doing. This is why, when a disciple asks Jesus to teach him a prayer, Jesus tells him a few things about the nature and character of God. And so, today, we use Jesus' example to talk about the character of God.
Enjoy the audio!
Peace and grace, Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: Prayers, Snakes, and Scorpions"
Scripture: Luke 11:1-13
It has been said by many a theologian, show me how someone prays, and I will tell you what they believe about God. Prayer is as much about the character of God as it is about what we are actually doing. This is why, when a disciple asks Jesus to teach him a prayer, Jesus tells him a few things about the nature and character of God. And so, today, we use Jesus' example to talk about the character of God.
Enjoy the audio!
Peace and grace, Pastor Seth
July 21, 2019 - Pentecost 6C
"Guided by Luke: Needful Things"
Scripture: Luke 10:38-42
Martha and Mary have the disadvantage of having been stereotyped into particular ways of being and actions. Now, there are Martha people and Mary people. I think this misses the point. There are people who are worried and distracted and therefore miss what is most important; and there are people who are not worried or distracted who are able to focus on the most important thing. When we allow worry and distraction to be the guide to what is most needful, we open ourselves to being led astray. Stephen King knew a thing or two about this in his book Needful Things.
PDF and audio are here for your enjoyment and edification!
Peace to all! Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: Needful Things"
Scripture: Luke 10:38-42
Martha and Mary have the disadvantage of having been stereotyped into particular ways of being and actions. Now, there are Martha people and Mary people. I think this misses the point. There are people who are worried and distracted and therefore miss what is most important; and there are people who are not worried or distracted who are able to focus on the most important thing. When we allow worry and distraction to be the guide to what is most needful, we open ourselves to being led astray. Stephen King knew a thing or two about this in his book Needful Things.
PDF and audio are here for your enjoyment and edification!
Peace to all! Pastor Seth
July 14, 2019 - Pentecost 5C
"Guided by Luke: Lawyers, Neighbors, Innkeepers, and Eternal Life"
Scripture: Luke 10:25-37
The Good Samaritan...everyone knows this story, don't they? We have laws named after it, hospitals named after it, philosophies built on it. As a preacher, it is hard to know how to preach anything new. I try to always question the prevailing and status quo understanding of things. Sometimes, rarely, the status quo is right, and in this case, the status quo is mostly right. But there are deeper things to see in this story, and so this morning, I just went up with the Bible and talked through the story verse by verse to see what bubbled to the surface. I also did my best to trust the Holy Spirit.
Enjoy the audio!
"Guided by Luke: Lawyers, Neighbors, Innkeepers, and Eternal Life"
Scripture: Luke 10:25-37
The Good Samaritan...everyone knows this story, don't they? We have laws named after it, hospitals named after it, philosophies built on it. As a preacher, it is hard to know how to preach anything new. I try to always question the prevailing and status quo understanding of things. Sometimes, rarely, the status quo is right, and in this case, the status quo is mostly right. But there are deeper things to see in this story, and so this morning, I just went up with the Bible and talked through the story verse by verse to see what bubbled to the surface. I also did my best to trust the Holy Spirit.
Enjoy the audio!
July 7, 2019 - Pentecost 4C
"Guided by Luke: Sent Into a Pack of Wolves" - Rev Seth D Jones
Scripture: Luke 10:1-20
Hospitality is a big deal in Scripture. Jesus gives the disciples a difficult task to go out into the countryside and rely on the hospitality of strangers. "Go out two by two, with nothing", he says. This is also the way the teachers of Stoicism sent out their students as well. It is an important contextual and historical point.
Welcoming others and paying attention to being a welcomed guest are deeply important aspects to being a follower of Jesus, and we get to some of those concerns today.
Enjoy the PDF and the Audio!
"Guided by Luke: Sent Into a Pack of Wolves" - Rev Seth D Jones
Scripture: Luke 10:1-20
Hospitality is a big deal in Scripture. Jesus gives the disciples a difficult task to go out into the countryside and rely on the hospitality of strangers. "Go out two by two, with nothing", he says. This is also the way the teachers of Stoicism sent out their students as well. It is an important contextual and historical point.
Welcoming others and paying attention to being a welcomed guest are deeply important aspects to being a follower of Jesus, and we get to some of those concerns today.
Enjoy the PDF and the Audio!
June 30, 2019 - Pentecost 3C
"Guided by Luke: The Cost of Commitment" - Rev Seth D Jones
Scripture: Luke 9:51-62
We begin an exploration of the Gospel of Luke this week, and we begin with different reasons we have for not committing to following Jesus. There is a huge difference between following Jesus back in 1 C.E. and now in 2019. Back in Jesus' day, following Jesus meant leaving your hometown, your traditions, and your family. Today, we just walk down the street to the local church, or drive across town. Even so, the barriers to committing to Christ can still be very high, if we are going to take Jesus seriously. Think on these things deeply, as the rabbis used to say.
Both the PDF and the audio are available this week.
Peace and grace! Pastor Seth
"Guided by Luke: The Cost of Commitment" - Rev Seth D Jones
Scripture: Luke 9:51-62
We begin an exploration of the Gospel of Luke this week, and we begin with different reasons we have for not committing to following Jesus. There is a huge difference between following Jesus back in 1 C.E. and now in 2019. Back in Jesus' day, following Jesus meant leaving your hometown, your traditions, and your family. Today, we just walk down the street to the local church, or drive across town. Even so, the barriers to committing to Christ can still be very high, if we are going to take Jesus seriously. Think on these things deeply, as the rabbis used to say.
Both the PDF and the audio are available this week.
Peace and grace! Pastor Seth
June 16, 2019 - Trinity Sunday
The Trinity is one of the great mysteries of the faith. No where in Scripture is a Trinity ever mentioned. So today seems like a good day to talk about how we read Scripture and derive ideas from Scripture. This is how we make meaning and how we tell stories. It is also how we get into dangerous positions where other people do all of our thinking about faith for us. The topic of how we read and understand and make meaning is always fascinating to me, and this was a fun talk today.
Enjoy the audio!
The Trinity is one of the great mysteries of the faith. No where in Scripture is a Trinity ever mentioned. So today seems like a good day to talk about how we read Scripture and derive ideas from Scripture. This is how we make meaning and how we tell stories. It is also how we get into dangerous positions where other people do all of our thinking about faith for us. The topic of how we read and understand and make meaning is always fascinating to me, and this was a fun talk today.
Enjoy the audio!
June 9, 2019 - PENTECOST SUNDAY
This morning, we had the blessing of the Strumdingers Ukulele Band play for us. They are from Lincoln, Maine. We had a Spirit-filled morning of music and the Word!
For the sermon, we did a back and forth between me and the band. I hope you enjoy the audio this week!
Peace and grace to all! Pastor Seth
This morning, we had the blessing of the Strumdingers Ukulele Band play for us. They are from Lincoln, Maine. We had a Spirit-filled morning of music and the Word!
For the sermon, we did a back and forth between me and the band. I hope you enjoy the audio this week!
Peace and grace to all! Pastor Seth