Being and doing and all that

This is the last Sunday where there are two completely different (at least that was the intention) sermons in the one post.

The Knox Presbyterian sermon is a meditation on how much we are different than the first century “teachers of the law” and Pharisees; those groups of hyper-religious folks that Jesus had so many run-ins with. This being a sermon it more or less requires some sort of twist on the sermon title. It turns out that if we aren’t careful we will find that we have become far more like those folks than we are comfortable contemplating.

The St. Mark’s Presbyterian sermon is the last in the three part look at the mission statement of the church and it is about proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. Needless to say this opens the possibility of evangelism and we all know what that means. Evangelism means that we uncomfortably approach people we don’t know and confront them with the claims of the gospel . . . doesn’t it? No, no, a thousand times NO! It does not mean that and it never has. We are called to proclaim the gospel we are not called to alienate people, whew!

Knox Presbyterian We’re not like that, are we?

St. Mark’s Presbyterian We glorify God . . . as we proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ

Thanks for giving one or both of these a listen. Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments.

By the way, I won’t be posting sermons next Sunday as I won’t be preaching at Knox and St. Mark’s, Rev. John Ferrier will be there presiding over Holy Communion and the sacrament of Baptism. I might write something up but unless I decide to preach a sermon sitting at my desk . . . .

Blessings,