April 2016 Archives

On our own we are lost and bewildered and can wander off track far too easily. Is it not great that we have this wonderful good shepherd to guide us along the way? 

lease listen to the sermon rather than read it.  The delivered sermon is often considerably different than the sermon notes which are included for convenience below.  

Sermon delivered at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Berkeley. 

April 24, 2016 - Fifth Sunday in Easter

"By Our Love".  Text is from John 13:31-35

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Good morning to you my sisters and brothers, saints and sinners, disciples of Christ and children of God.

In just a few short verses, Jesus is providing us with a wealth of information about his nature and his future. Given the context of this statement, he speaks of the Father being glorified in him and him being glorified in the father. He foretells his departure and he gives the disciples one more, important command, that they love each other as he has loved them. 

So even as we are proceeding forward from the cross and the great resurrection, we are, at this point late in the Easter season, being drawn toward the Ascension and finally the Pentecost. This saying of Jesus, drawn as it is from Chapter 13, takes place after the Last Supper. Jesus has washed the feet of his disciples. He has given Judas the piece of bread, pointing him out to the beloved disciple as the one who would betray him. And we begin with "After he had left", meaning Judas. 

Even on our best days, we can find things that cause us anxiety or stress, and none of us are immune to the pain that life brings. But God brings us hope of freedom from stress and pain. 

 This is an unrehearsed homily, so there is no accompanying text!  

Sermon delivered at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Berkeley. 

April 20, 2016 - Fourth Wednesday in Easter

"Fourth Wednesday in Easter".  Text is from Revelation 21:1-6

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On our own we are lost and bewildered and can wander off track far too easily. Is it not great that we have this wonderful good shepherd to guide us along the way? 

lease listen to the sermon rather than read it.  The delivered sermon is often considerably different than the sermon notes which are included for convenience below.  

Sermon delivered at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Berkeley. 

April 17, 2016 - Fourth Sunday in Easter

"Not In It Alone".  Text is from John 10:22-30

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Good morning to you my sisters and brothers, saints and sinners, disciples of Christ and children of God.

Jesus is speaking to Judeans who have preconceived notions of what the Messiah is supposed to be, what they've heard about Jesus what their own interpretation is of the promises that Jesus is to fulfill. We can empathize with them at least for a little bit because indeed, they've been waiting for a Messiah and they've heard some good things about this Jesus of Nazareth but he is not exactly acting and speaking what their version of the Messiah is like. And so they're impatient and they want to call him out, to "speak plainly" and tell them whether he is or not this Messiah, this Christ that they are ready for. 

And Jesus answers plainly. They just have to hear what he's been telling people all over the place, that the information is already there.  That they would already know if they just believe. That if they were members of his flock, they would already believe, and then this question should not be coming up at all. And we find some variation on this next line, that the sheep know his voice, and they follow him automatically, with no questions asked. 

How important is it to Love Jesus when Jesus tells us to love him, and are we able to love him in thee way he wants us to love him? 

lease listen to the sermon rather than read it.  The delivered sermon is often considerably different than the sermon notes which are included for convenience below.  

Sermon delivered at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Berkeley. 

April 10, 2016 - Third Sunday in Easter

"Do You Love Me?".  Text is from John 21:1-19

Click here for sermon audio

Good morning to you my sisters and brothers, saints and sinners, disciples of Christ and children of God.

There is so much happening right here today's texts, a richness of information and dialogue, from the Acts reading to Revelation all the way into this particular Gospel text. There is an immense amount of glory to be found in today's scriptures.  

The act of believing happens generally through a process. While faith is a gift, rarely does it occur without evidence for we skeptical human beings. 

Please listen to the sermon rather than read it.  The delivered sermon is often considerably different than the sermon notes which are included for convenience below.  

Sermon delivered at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Berkeley. 

April 3, 2016 - Second Sunday in Easter

"Coming to Believe".  Text is from John 20:19-31

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Jesus tells us, "blessed are those who believe without seeing." But who is he referring to? It is certainly nice to think that he may be referring to us, here in the 21st century, because we know for certain it was meant in contrast to how Thomas came to believe that Jesus has risen.