Sermons

John 15: 9-12 & Acts 10: 44-48 * Roger C. Lynn * May 28, 2006

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According to John's Gospel, Jesus said, "This is my commandment - that you love one another." And we've been struggling to live up to that challenge ever since. It's not easy and there's usually lots of room for improvement. The sticker in the rear window of my car asks the question, "Which part of loving one another don't we understand?" It is, however, a challenge worthy of our very best ongoing efforts. Now, more than ever, our world stands in need of the healing balm of such all-encompassing, welcoming, accepting love.
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Acts 8: 26-31 * Roger C. Lynn * May 14, 2006

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In J.R.R.Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings", Bilbo reflects on the precarious nature of living when he says, "It's a dangerous thing . . . going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you'll be swept off to." That is something like what it means to be a person of faith. Once you start down that path, there's just no telling where it will take you.

While that is true, however, God seldom grabs us by the arm and drags us somewhere. The guidance and direction we get from God is usually more subtle than that. Nudges, whispers, promptings are more often the means by which God intersects with our lives. We have to pay attention to notice. And when we do notice we need to be willing to take a step down the path, even when we can't be sure what's coming next.
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John 10:11-16 & 1 John 3:16-24 * Roger C. Lynn * May 7, 2006

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Believing in God can be a rather nebulous thing sometimes. We say we trust, but we are, after all, only human. We get distracted. It's hard to stay connected with a God we can't touch or see. So, down through the years, various people have come up with various ways to make sure - pray a particular prayer, with your body in a particular position, at a particular time each day; profess belief in a particular statement; give a specified amount of money to a particular organization; sacrifice an animal in a particular way; eat certain foods; don't eat certain foods; cut your hair; don't cut your hair; obey certain rules; and on and on the list could go. There is a certain comfort that comes from knowing what you have to do to be in God's good graces. Except it's hardly ever quite that simple. What if I didn't do it just right? What if I made a mistake and didn't even notice? What if I do everything just exactly right, and it still doesn't feel like God is with me? What if . . . ? What if . . . ?
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