Sermons
In St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians that we heard today, Paul offers a prayer for the people. He prays that they may be rooted and grounded in love. And he also prays that they may know the height and length and breadth and depth of the love of God. A love that surpasses knowledge, Paul says. When people are filled with this love, he says that God, through us, can do infinitely more than we can ask for or imagine.
Listen to or read Bingham’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”
Jesus is teaching us the Gospel message to love. I know it is not always easy. In fact, it is rather difficult sometimes. We think of love as being that feel good feeling, but love is so much more than that. Love is the very intentional practice of caring about another person, even when there doesn’t seem to be very much to care about. Love is that act of blessing and not cursing that Paul talked about last week. Love is not an easy thing. It is one of the most challenging things to do sometimes.
Listen to or read Bingham’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”
Now I’m not stupid, and I am human. As committed as I am to the Great Commandment, as hard as I try to live into our Baptismal Covenant, I know I don’t treat everyone I encounter in an equally loving manner. But I have noticed over the years, if I just allow myself to be open to it, situations arise when the invisible barrier that may have existed between me and someone else disappears.
Read Sharon’s entire sermon for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost by clicking “Read More.”
You see that very clearly whenever Jesus engages with scripture, he is engaged in questions of interpretation. My favorite story of Jesus interpreting scripture is the time that the Disciples were picking grain on the Sabbath. Jesus is criticized for his Disciples working on the Sabbath, which seems to be a clear violation of the rules, the laws of scripture. But Jesus has a different interpretation. It is definitely not plain meaning. It is a creative and playful engagement with scripture. While the critics are talking about the Sabbath, Jesus says do you remember the story about David?
To hear or read Bingham’s entire sermon for the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost, click “Read More.”
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Now if that old schoolyard taunt is helpful to you, if it allows you to let an insult roll off your back like water off a duck, then please, please, please do not let anything that I am about to say take away the power of those words to protect you. When I was a kid, I found it very helpful to remember that expression that my teachers taught me when someone would say a mean thing or two to me.
But as I have gotten older I have found that that expression is not as helpful to me, because ultimately I find the expression rests upon something that is not true. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me", as if sticks and stones, the physical things in this world, have power, but words don't have power? I don’t think that is right. Our faith teaches us about the power of words.
To read or listen to Bingham’s entire sermon for the 16th Sunday after Pentecost just click “Read More.”
