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Words From the Middle

At the intersection of Sacred and Profane

2016/02/21

Sincere or not, imitate

Lent 2This Sunday’s sermons spring from one of the verses in the Epistle lesson for today, “Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us.” (Phil 3:17 NRSV) Furthermore, people who are in a relationship with God are called to imitate God; “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Eph 5:1 NRSV) seems pretty clear.

But are we “allowed” to imitate people other than God and apostles? Well, the answer is yes, we can. In fact it is inescapable. As I was reflecting on the idea of imitating people and I was reminded that each of us has been shaped by other people. Each of us talks the way we do because of other people – beginning with parents, siblings and other care givers we listened and tried to imitate the sounds we heard. Now we sound like our family, our region, our country; we didn’t necessarily set out to sound that way but we do.

The question is, who do we imitate? The answer is, anyone who has qualities and characteristics that we value and want to add to our lives. I have imitated, consciously or otherwise, many people but the one I talk about most in these sermons is C. S. Lewis.

Knox Presbyterian Who to imitate?

https://wordsfromthemiddle.ca/wp-content/uploads/160221_Knox.mp3

St. Mark’s Presbyterian Who to imitate?

https://wordsfromthemiddle.ca/wp-content/uploads/160221_St_Marks.mp3

I hope you find some value in these sermons and maybe even something to imitate.

Blessings,

Barry

Article by Barry / Lent, Preaching, Sunday, Year C / preaching Leave a Comment

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