Do you know what a paradox is? According to the dictionary a paradox is: a statement that seems to contradict itself but expresses an element of truth. Our lessons today concern the idea of a paradox in Christian living, a paradox of values, and a...
You’ll remember from your art class how flat painting and even mosaic works appeared before Italian painters in the 15 century discovered how to add perspective to a flat canvass. The Flemish painters really developed the concept in the century following and now we just...
Zeal. Zealous. Zealot. Not words we use very often, are they? Today Pastor Eremeling presents those words in a Gospel context, using the image of Simon the Zealot. That Simon was a political animal, hating the Roman occupation of Palestine and working against it to...
Our Old Testament reading today is a portion of the events in the Garden. All Creation fell in those moments, of course, not just Adam and Eve. Prior to Sin, there were no thorns on roses, or spikes on palm branches, and the weather was...
As people of God, we dwell in two kingdoms, left and right. This weekend we recognize God’s right hand kingdom as together we speak through the Athanasian Creed, the great and ancient teaching of the mystery of the Trinity, that our God is three Persons...
Today we celebrate Pentecost, the birth of the Christian Church. Ironically our sermon text for this Pentecost Sunday uses bones, a valley full of dry human bones to teach important truths about the Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 37: 1-14). And just what are those truths? Make...
This weekend we recognize Ascension Day, that day upon which, after 40 days as the resurrected Christ on this earth, He ascended into heaven and took His place in the throne room of heaven. Without this day, the conclusion of His years on the earth,...
Chosen. Do you feel like you were chosen for anything? I confess I was always the last one picked when teams were chosen. Problem was, I never seemed to keep my eye on the ball, so if I managed to even make contact with a...
When Jesus said “I am the true vine” He was speaking right into the culture of His place and time. Wine was an integral part of life in Israel, served at the table, was in the temple, bought and sold as a staple of the...