Sunday, July 29, 2012
Podcast Sermon for July 29, 2012: The Loaves
A sermon preached by Vicar Lewis Polzin on July 29, 2012 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Troy, MO, on Mark 6:45-56. The text of this sermon may be found at the following web address: http://apastoralapproach.blogspot.com/2012/07/sermon-for-july-29-2012-loaves.html. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon for July 29, 2012: The Loaves
Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text for this morning’s message comes from the Gospel of Mark, the sixth chapter:
Dear Friends in Christ,
“For they didn’t understand about the loaves???” Did you hear that? “For they didn’t understand about the loaves?” What in the world does that have to do with anything? It’s such an odd statement. What does Mark mean? Why does he include this? It doesn’t make much sense! Or does it?
First, we have to ask, what loaves is Mark talking about? Anyone? Did no one pay attention to the Gospel lesson of last week? What did we read? What is that lesson usually called? The Feeding of the Five Thousand. You see, Mark includes this, he includes this little tidbit of information, that the disciples of Christ didn’t understand about the loaves, because it’s important. But Mark wants YOU to understand this. The disciples, they eventually came to understand just what EVERYTHING meant, everything that Jesus did in their presence, everything He said, everything He taught.
The text for this morning’s message comes from the Gospel of Mark, the sixth chapter:
Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side… And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.Thus far the text.
Dear Friends in Christ,
“For they didn’t understand about the loaves???” Did you hear that? “For they didn’t understand about the loaves?” What in the world does that have to do with anything? It’s such an odd statement. What does Mark mean? Why does he include this? It doesn’t make much sense! Or does it?
First, we have to ask, what loaves is Mark talking about? Anyone? Did no one pay attention to the Gospel lesson of last week? What did we read? What is that lesson usually called? The Feeding of the Five Thousand. You see, Mark includes this, he includes this little tidbit of information, that the disciples of Christ didn’t understand about the loaves, because it’s important. But Mark wants YOU to understand this. The disciples, they eventually came to understand just what EVERYTHING meant, everything that Jesus did in their presence, everything He said, everything He taught.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Podcast Sermon for July 15, 2012: Life in the Guillotine
A sermon preached by Vicar Lewis Polzin on July 15, 2012 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Troy, MO, on Ephesians 1:3-14. The text of this sermon may be found at the following web address: http://apastoralapproach.blogspot.com/2012/07/sermon-for-july-15-2012-life-in.html. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon for July 15, 2012: Life in the Guillotine
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text for this morning is from Paul’s letter to the Church at Ephesus, the first chapter:
Dear friends in Christ,
Objectively, at the beginning of today’s Gospel narrative in Mark 6, things seemed to be going well for John the Baptizer. He is preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins. He has baptized the Lord of all Creation in the person of Jesus Christ. He is drawing crowds from far and near, returning the hearts of sons to their fathers and daughters to their mothers. He is able to put down the rhetoric of the Pharisees without any theological training, because as a prophet of God, the Holy Spirit is giving him the words to speak, the ears to hear, the mind to think, the ability to say his good words. He is living out his vocation well. He is even obeying the vow that he has made to his God, that he would not cut his hair, that he would drink no alcohol, that he would touch no dead thing.
But the problem is, the Naziritic vow John the Baptizer is under, it will always come to an end. A vow to obey is always broken; it will always be broken. Even you, you will always disobey your vows. The wages of sin, the wages of breaking vows, is death. And you, like John the Baptizer, will die. John the Baptizer, at the end of the Gospel lesson, did die. He died with his head unceremoniously being lopped off, a sword coming down right on his neck, head bouncing to the ground, and being served up on a silver platter to the evil queen, Herodias, because of her daughter, Salome, and a stupid promise made by a drunken and lecherous King Herod.
The text for this morning is from Paul’s letter to the Church at Ephesus, the first chapter:
In Christ we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
Objectively, at the beginning of today’s Gospel narrative in Mark 6, things seemed to be going well for John the Baptizer. He is preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins. He has baptized the Lord of all Creation in the person of Jesus Christ. He is drawing crowds from far and near, returning the hearts of sons to their fathers and daughters to their mothers. He is able to put down the rhetoric of the Pharisees without any theological training, because as a prophet of God, the Holy Spirit is giving him the words to speak, the ears to hear, the mind to think, the ability to say his good words. He is living out his vocation well. He is even obeying the vow that he has made to his God, that he would not cut his hair, that he would drink no alcohol, that he would touch no dead thing.
But the problem is, the Naziritic vow John the Baptizer is under, it will always come to an end. A vow to obey is always broken; it will always be broken. Even you, you will always disobey your vows. The wages of sin, the wages of breaking vows, is death. And you, like John the Baptizer, will die. John the Baptizer, at the end of the Gospel lesson, did die. He died with his head unceremoniously being lopped off, a sword coming down right on his neck, head bouncing to the ground, and being served up on a silver platter to the evil queen, Herodias, because of her daughter, Salome, and a stupid promise made by a drunken and lecherous King Herod.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Podcast Sermon for July 8, 2012: Stand and Deliver
A sermon preached by Vicar Lewis Polzin on July 8, 2012 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Troy, MO, on Ezekiel 2:1-5. The text of this sermon may be found at the following web address: http://apastoralapproach.blogspot.com/2012/07/sermon-for-july-8-2012-stand-and.html. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon for July 8, 2012: Stand and Deliver
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the prophet Ezekiel, the second chapter:
Dear friends in Christ,
For many of you, you may be wondering why I chose the name of a 24-year-old movie for the title of this sermon: ‘Stand and Deliver.’ Or perhaps many of you have no idea what I’m talking about. To be honest with you, I had already chosen the title from the Biblical text, even before I remembered that there was a movie of the same name. You see, the movie was so good, it made such a difference in our culture, that the name is now ubiquitous. It’s everywhere. It’s so deep in our psyches that we don’t even know where it comes from.
But hopefully, you remember the movie. Edward James Olmos played the teacher, James Escalante, who wants to teach computers to a struggling, inner-city, Latino-based high school. The only problem: they have no computers. Instead, Escalante ends up teaching math to them. And he does it well. After struggling for a while, fighting them at almost every turn, he gets through to these kids. They take the state test. They pass. They have Escalante to thank. But their fight isn’t done. The state doesn’t believe them. The state thinks Escalante and the kids cheated. The state fights them and fights them, and ends up testing them again. The kids pass.
It’s a glorious story; it’s the way stories should be told. The underdogs fight against the man. They win. It’s why the story has lasted so long. It’s why its name, ‘Stand and Deliver,’ has lasted in our culture, even though most of you today still probably haven’t seen. Rent it. It’s worth it. It’s how stories should be told. But the ending, well, the ending… it doesn’t always happen that way.
The text this morning is from the prophet Ezekiel, the second chapter:
And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them.Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
For many of you, you may be wondering why I chose the name of a 24-year-old movie for the title of this sermon: ‘Stand and Deliver.’ Or perhaps many of you have no idea what I’m talking about. To be honest with you, I had already chosen the title from the Biblical text, even before I remembered that there was a movie of the same name. You see, the movie was so good, it made such a difference in our culture, that the name is now ubiquitous. It’s everywhere. It’s so deep in our psyches that we don’t even know where it comes from.
But hopefully, you remember the movie. Edward James Olmos played the teacher, James Escalante, who wants to teach computers to a struggling, inner-city, Latino-based high school. The only problem: they have no computers. Instead, Escalante ends up teaching math to them. And he does it well. After struggling for a while, fighting them at almost every turn, he gets through to these kids. They take the state test. They pass. They have Escalante to thank. But their fight isn’t done. The state doesn’t believe them. The state thinks Escalante and the kids cheated. The state fights them and fights them, and ends up testing them again. The kids pass.
It’s a glorious story; it’s the way stories should be told. The underdogs fight against the man. They win. It’s why the story has lasted so long. It’s why its name, ‘Stand and Deliver,’ has lasted in our culture, even though most of you today still probably haven’t seen. Rent it. It’s worth it. It’s how stories should be told. But the ending, well, the ending… it doesn’t always happen that way.
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