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Reading Scripture Like Jesus

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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.”

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Knitting a Shawl of God's Love

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Jesus says follow this way, the way of mercy. "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me." Follow Jesus on the way of mercy, on the way of grace, on the way of love because that is the world view of God. That is the ordering of the world in which a little child can be taken and put in the middle as an exemplar, as Jesus did in our Gospel just a few weeks ago.

Listen to or read Bingham’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”

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Called to Serve

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We are called to follow Jesus’ example of servanthood. How do we do that here at St. Mary’s? We do it both subtly and overtly. We serve each other through maintaining our connections, knitting ourselves together in love. In love and care for one another, we serve. As simple as a call, an e-mail, text, a cup of coffee or tea, a walk, a hike, a few hundred stitches together on Wednesday morning as the quilt grows smaller and smaller on the frame. We do it through our many ministries of serving others in emulation of Jesus’ life and works of mercy, feeding, healing, dignifying those on the margins of society. Our Saturday Breakfast is legendary in the community and during this pandemic its tireless volunteers have not wavered even though they’ve been forced to change when, where and how they serve food, they continue to bring God’s love through feeding the hungry in our neighborhoods.

Listen to or read Ryan’s entire sermon for the 21st Sunday after Pentecost by clicking “Read More.”

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On Camels, Needles, and God’s Grace

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What a Gospel we just heard! The story of the camel, the rich man, and the eye of the needle. It's a tough one, and we might find ourselves asking, is Jesus talking to me? Is Jesus really asking me to sell everything I have and give it all to those who are living in poverty? We might find ourselves thinking, that's too much, Jesus. I can't do that. It's not realistic. I have too many responsibilities. Just no. And we find ourselves trying to turn our ears down a little bit and wait for something a little more palatable to come out of Jesus's mouth. If we do that, we're going to miss out on some really important things that Jesus wants us to explore. So why don’t we take a little time today and try to unpack this Gospel passage together.

Click “Read More” to read or listen to Bingham’s entire sermon for the 20th Sunday after Pentecost.

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Divine Love

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“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

I wonder if those asking Jesus this question really want an answer, or maybe they already have their answer but they want to see what shocking thing Jesus might say to make people angry with him again. In typical Jewish fashion Jesus answers their question with one of his own. It was a favorite technique of mine with high school language students.

To read or listen to Ryan’s entire sermon for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost click “Read More".

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Supporting One Another

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What a story we have been given in our first reading from Numbers today. It is a story that profoundly resonates with me in this moment we find ourselves in the pandemic. The story takes place during that desert wilderness period, those forty years between their liberation from their slavery in Egypt and before they enter into the Promised Land. The Israelites have been wandering around for quite a while at this point and they find themselves kind of done with the whole experience. They’re tired of it. They are exhausted.

To read or listen to Bingham’s entire sermon for the 18th Sunday after Pentecost, click “Read More.”

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The Wisdom of God

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“The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.” Willing to yield. I’m NOT very willing to yield. In fact, I don’t care for it. Whether I’m driving somewhere or in another situation. I’m more naturally inclined to go, to take, to believe that I have the right away, the right answer, or the important thing to do or say, or place to be. I don’t want to yield. I want to be right. I am right! Right? Well, as my wife Stacey recently pointed out to me, sometimes I can be a bit SELF-righteous. What? It would seem that those who know us well, well, they really do know us well.

Click “Read More” to read or listen to Ryan’s entire sermon for the 17th Sunday after Pentecost.

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