Repentance Revisited

Isaiah 55: 1-13 & Luke 15: 1-3 & 11-32

Roger Lynn

March 26, 2017

4th Sunday in Lent
(click here for the audio for this sermon)

The last time I preached on this topic I mentioned to someone  that I was thinking of doing a sermon on repentance and they responded by saying, “You are not!” They simply could not conceive of me preaching on such a dreadful topic. Their response convinced me that such a topic was, in fact, exactly what I needed to preach on.

The problem is that repentance has been so twisted and abused and misused over the years that in the minds of most people it is either a bad joke or a painful memory. From the cartoonish caricature of the wild-eyed fanatic wearing a sandwich board proclaiming “Repent! The End Is Near!” to the finger-wagging, sour-faced preacher who shouts, “Sinners repent or face God’s wrath!”, for most of us, repentance has become something best ignored and avoided. It does not seem to fit with our understanding of a loving, gracious God.

Our Renewing View

Isaiah 65: 21-22

Roger Lynn

March 19, 2017

Marking the Completion of Our Three Year “Renew the View” Capital Improvement Campaign

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In one of his “Still Speaking Daily Devotional” posts Quinn Caldwell reflected on the passage from Isaiah that we just heard read. “Isaiah's words sound nice, but the fact is, if you build to last, somebody else is going to inhabit your house one day.

Big Picture Living in a Little Picture World

Genesis 17: 1-7 & 15-16

Roger Lynn

March 12, 2017

Second Sunday in Lent

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God’s covenant with Abraham & Sarah – “You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations.” It is a grand, even outlandish, vision. There is no reason in the world for them to believe it. Indeed, both of them laugh at the complete absurdity of it all. They are old, and they are childless. Life has not worked out for them as they hoped it might. And yet. And yet! In spite of their laughing, in spite of their questions and uncertainty, in spite of even their blatant attempts to take over control of the situation (remember the story of Hagar and Ishmael), God continues to be fully and completely present. “I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.” And somehow, through it all, they manage to believe it and live ever more fully into that reality. 

Faithful Living: Not for the Faint of Heart

Mark 1: 9-15

Roger Lynn

March 5, 2017

1st Sunday in Lent

(click here for the audio for this sermon)

There is a popular belief that faith is supposed to be “nice.” “Gentle Jesus, sweet and mild” is a phrase that sums up how we often think about all things religious. Just take your problems to God and everything will be fine. We understand God to be the great calm in the midst of the storm. And all of that is true. Countless people down through the ages have found comfort and peace in the midst of life’s turmoil by opening themselves to God’s presence. Following the way of Christ can lead to a life filled with meaning and purpose.

And yet . . . there is more to the story than just calm, gentle sweetness. Faithful living, in all of its fullness, is not for the faint of heart. Faithful living is about all of life, and not all of life is neat and tidy. Not all of life is sweetness and light. As we begin this season of Lent, we find an opportunity to open ourselves to the shadows of life, and discover the fullness of God’s presence even there.