Sundays at St. James

“From One Degree of Glory to the Next” Main point: The transfiguration is a display of the goal of the Christian life. INTRODUCTION: Peter, John, and James go up the mountain with Jesus to pray. The face of Jesus changes and his clothes began to shine. Suddenly two men were with Jesus - Moses who represents the Law and Elijah who represents the prophets. These two figures are also bathed in glory...

"There is work to do." Main point: Encounter with God leads to doing the works of gathering people in all kinds of ways. INTRODUCTION: Luke 5:1-11 Jesus calls the disciples to fish for people Once while Jesus was standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God , he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them...

“Leveling the Field” Main point: The Sermon on the Plain is a story in its own right.  nThis is the meaning of life: our salvation. INTRODUCTION: Start with a movie story where the setting is very important. TELL THE SORRY The Setting Jesus came down…to a level place. A scary movie needs to take place in a haunted house. A John Wayne Western need deserts and canyons from the Great Southwest. A Hal...

"The Risk of a Jesus Who Offends” Main point: We selectively approve of the cultural Jesus who matches our preformulated ideas about him. We rarely allow Jesus to offend us so that we might grow in faith. INTRODUCTION: Contextualizing the Feast On this day we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord at the Temple - or more accurately stated - the Feast of the Purification of Mary. It wa...

“Remember the Poor” Main point: Jesus announces news to the poor. It is our calling to be that good news. INTRODUCTION Welcome to the third week of Epiphany. Epiphany, of course, means “appearance” “manifestation” or “revelation”. I pray you have been celebrating the wonderful revelation of Jesus of Nazareth during our season of Epiphany. If you happened to miss a week here or there, I encourage y...

“The Two Are Made One” Main point: The sign at the wedding feast was an announcement of the messianic age. In the New Creation, heaven and earth become one. INTRODUCTION Last week we looked at an event in the life of Jesus which is recorded in all four of the gospels: the Baptism of our Lord. This week we encounter an event only recorded by John: Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding feast in...

“Baptism of our Lord” Main point: In the Baptism of our Lord, Jesus begins the work of expanding “Sonship” to all people. INTRODUCTION  Welcome to the feast of the Baptism of our Lord. This is an annual festival for all churches who follow the Church year. The baptism of our Lord is recorded in each of the four gospels - but they each tell the story just a little bit different Parable of the Eleph...

“Incarnation” Main point: The incarnation shows us salvation. INTRODUCTION  My wife recently posted on Facebook the list of books she read during 2024. Over the last several years his has become somewhat of an annual tradition among our family and friends scattered around the country. She lists her favorites of the 60+ books she's read and I casually enjoy the rich conversation that develops from...

Christmas Eve at St. James

“Let the Young Jesus Teach You” Main point: Even as a young man, Jesus set an example of how to be in the world. On the 4th Day of Christmas my true love gave to me: four calling (colly) birds. (Some day this stands for the 4 gospel writers who have us our accounts is the life of Jesus.) On the 5th Day of Christmas my true love gave to me: five gold rings. (Some day this stands for the 5 books of...

“Fire and Brimstone” Main point: Pondering the way(s) each of us receive the call to repent and live a righteous life. Introduction Clear the way for the Lord! John the Baptizer bursts onto the scene with quite a message.   You brood of vipers! Bear fruits worthy of repentance.  The ax is lying at the root of the tree. If it does not bear good fruit it will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Th...

“Make A Way!” Main point: The coming of Jesus makes the path straight to salvation. Introduction Our gospel today breaks easily into three sections. To our modern ears this first section may sound like a lot of white noise. We hear names and places with little or no association with anything that connects to our knowledge or experience. But in a first century audience, the people who heard these w...

Advent 1 Year C “Wait” Main point: What do we do while we wait? INTRODUCTION If you're looking for a gentle, nostalgic introduction to the countdown to Christmas, you won't find those sentiments in today's gospel. Welcome to the first Sunday of Advent! Advent is a unique season of waiting and pondering as the days get shorter, the nights get longer, and our hibernation instincts begin to kick in a...

26th Week after Pentecost. “Birth pangs lead to new birth” Main point: What is newly being birthed in us (collectively or individually) after the devastation we have experienced?

Year B, Proper 27

Gospel: John 8:31-36 Jesus speaks of truth and freedom as spiritual realities known through his word. He reveals the truth that sets people free from sin. 31 Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never be...

Gospel: Mark 7:24-37 In Mark’s gospel, encounters with women usually signify turning points in Jesus’ ministry. Here, a conversation with a Syrophoenician woman marks the beginning of his mission to the Gentiles. 24 [Jesus] set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice,25 but a woman whose little daughte...

Gospel: John 6:35, 41-51 After feeding more than five thousand people in the wilderness, Jesus teaches them regarding the true significance of this remarkable sign. 35 Jesus said to [the crowd,] “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”   41 Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that ca...

Gospel: John 6:1-21 In John’s gospel, the miracles of Jesus are called “signs,” because they reveal the true character of God. As such, they remain within the mystery of God and cannot be brought under human control. 1 Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd kept following him because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 ...

Gospel: Mark 6:14-29 As Jesus and his disciples begin to attract attention, Mark recalls the story of John the Baptist’s martyrdom. Like John, Jesus and his disciples will also suffer at the hands of those opposed to the gospel of salvation. 14 King Herod heard of [the disciples’ preaching], for Jesus’s name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead, and...

Gospel: Mark 4:26-34 Jesus frequently uses parables to teach ordinary people as they are able to hear and understand. Images of sowing and growing show the vitality of God’s kingdom. 26 [Jesus] said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of itsel...

Gospel: Mark 3:20-35 In response to charges that he is possessed, Jesus wonders aloud how anyone who is demon-possessed can cast out demons. Those who do the will of God are possessed by the Holy Spirit, siblings of Christ. 20 [Jesus] went home, and the crowd came together again, so that [Jesus and the disciples] could not even eat.21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for pe...

Gospel: John 3:1-17 Jesus’ miracles prompt Nicodemus to visit him in secrecy. Jesus tells him about being born of the Spirit and about the Son who has been sent by God to save. 1 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless G...

Gospel: John 15:1-8 On the night of his arrest, Jesus taught his disciples about the relationship they would have with him. Those who abide in his word and love bear fruit, for apart from him, they can do nothing. [Jesus said:] 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fr...

Gospel: Luke 24:36b-48 In this account of an appearance after his resurrection, Jesus opens the minds of the disciples to understand him as Messiah. Jesus convinces them that he has been raised and sends them on a mission to proclaim the message of repentance and forgiveness. 36b Jesus himself stood among [the disciples] and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and terrified an...