Happenings

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03 July 2013

Sermon: Proper 8C (Gospel)

3 July AD 2013
Pentecost 6

Title: Rain of Fire, Reign of Peace (MP3 Audio)

Napalm Strike Summary: Those blasted Samaritans! How dare they refuse hospitality to the Master! James and John were in favor of calling in a divine air strike and bombing them back into the Stone Age: “Jesus,” the Sons of Thunder begged Him, “let us call down flames from above on those rotten sinners!”

James and John were wrong. All too often, so are we. We want God to visit His wrath on the wicked, conveniently forgetting that we also are sinners. To do so is to ask Him to judge us by the same criteria we use on others — inviting Him to condemn us as we condemn.

There will come a Day when Jesus pronounces judgment upon those who reject His grace. Until then, however, His message — His church’s message — is one of reconciliation. For Jesus came not to rain down fire upon us but to lead us into His reign of peace. He comes now in Word and Sacrament so sinners like these Samaritans, like James and John — like you — can know forgiveness and peace.

James and John Text: When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.

And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”

But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village.

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

Don't Look Back To another he said, “Follow me.”

But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:51-62

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of Rain of Fire, Reign of Peace.

NB: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.

Other Readings: Psalm 16; 1 Kings 19:9b-21; Galatians 5:1, 13-25

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