Sermons

Toss a pebble into the center of a pond and the ripples from that single stone will spread to fill the whole surface. So it is with our understanding of life. It usually starts out narrowly focused - it's all about me! Slowly our awareness and appreciation expands to include those closest to us, those we care about the most. If we live long enough, and pay attention, and are fortunate enough to have people in our life who encourage us to lift our eyes and open our hearts, the ripples of awareness spread to include our neighbors, our community, and eventually even the whole world.
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How To Succeed . . . in business, in sports, in romance, in life. You name the specific topic and you will likely find at least one "How To Succeed" title in the bookstore, not to mention a variety of week-end seminars and late-night infomercials. And if James and John had been alive today, they would have been the first in line for all of them. They had apparently been paying enough attention to grasp the age-old adage: "It's not what you know - it's who you know." It's all about making contacts. And they thought they had hit the jackpot! They were on a first name basis with God's main man! The contacts just don't get any better than that. And they weren't about to pass up the opportunity to press their advantage. "Hey Jesus, can you do us a favor?" (You can almost see the arm around the shoulder.) "We're looking to score big in the eternal life department, and we're pretty sure you can get us the best seats in the house. How about it?"
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Mark 10: 17-31 * Roger C. Lynn * October 15, 2006

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He had spent most of his life looking for it, even when he couldn't quite define what "it" was. Sometimes the longing was intense and sometimes the more mundane details of life pushed it into the background. But when he met Jesus and watched how he was living his life and heard the things he was saying about God, he knew that everything he longed for was within his grasp. "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" is the way he asked the question. "How can I be a part of God's abundance?" might be another way of saying it.
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Genesis 2: 18-25 * Roger C. Lynn * October 8, 2006

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In many and various ways we are frequently told that we are separate and alone. And, in fact, we should want to be that way. We should strive for it. Our culture has sayings like "lift yourself up by your bootstraps" and "self-sufficient." We talk about being independent as if it is a virtue. Many consider "looking out for number one" to be a good thing. Advertisers encourage us to tell our family and friends to get their own box of crackers, because this one belongs to me. Even Mary Tyler Moore, in the open song from her old self-titled TV show, is told with great hope and promise that she is going to make it on her own. With all of these messages swirling around us, usually just below the surface of our awareness, it is easy to begin believing them. We start living as if "separate and alone" really does define who we are. We begin to do whatever it takes to protect ourselves. We build walls, both literal and metaphoric, and we refuse to let anyone get anywhere close to who we really are, including, most of the time, even ourselves.
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1 Corinthians 11: 23-25 & Mark 6: 7-12 * Roger C. Lynn * October 1, 2006 • World Communion Sunday

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They come in a whole variety of shapes and sizes. They are know by a great many names. They are private and they are public. They are ancient and they are modern. Rituals. Spiritual practices. Sacraments. Probably for as long as human beings have been aware of the world around us we have engaged in symbolic activities intended to put us in touch with the mystery beyond ourselves.
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