September 27                         “Law and Grace”                                                             Romans 3:21-26

                                                                                                                                        Cider House Rules

The migrant apple pickers laugh at the rules posted in the Cider House by an absentee landlord—once they find someone who can read them.  They laugh—and ignore them.  This is the attitude many have about the laws of God, the Ten Commandments.  They may be posted in public places and be fought over in the courts, but the attitude of many is to ignore them.  As the migrant workers know, no realistic, practical person can really live by these rules.  And even we who try to honor them often find them difficult to obey.  “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”  All of us are in need of God’s grace.  But there’s more to the story.

October 4                               “Law and Grace, Part 2”                                            Galatians 3:27-4:7

[World Communion]                                                                                                  Fiddler on the Roof

We might have the idea that for Paul “the Law” is a bad thing.  But—as Tevye tells us—these “traditions” help to give structure and direction in a shaky existence.  They help to tell us “who we are and what God expects of us.”  For Paul, they are like a schoolmaster, giving us guidance in our childhood.  But when the right time came, Jesus was born to extend to us God’s grace and forgiveness.

And that’s next week’s sermon.

October 11                             Laity Sunday

October 18                             “To Whom Do You Belong?”                                            Romans 6:1-11

                                                                                                                                                Toy Story

In a desperate situation, Buzz Lightyear finds himself in Sid’s room.  Sid is notorious for mangling, dismembering, and destroying toys.  The only comfort he can find is when he sees the name of his owner written in indelible ink on his foot.  Even in a desperate situation, he knows “whose he is.”  Christ’s name has been written on our foreheads and in our hearts in baptism.  We belong to him.  Let this knowledge bring us comfort in a dark and desperate world, where others try to tear us apart.  We have been baptized into Christ Jesus.  We belong to him.

October 25                             UMW Sunday

November 1                           “I Have Kept the Faith”                                                   2 Timothy 4:1-8

[All Saints’ – Holy Communion]                                                                              Mr. Holland’s Opus

At the end of his life, I wonder if the Apostle Paul wondered if his life had made any difference.  I’d like to take him to see this movie about the music teacher, Glen Holland.  I think they’d have a lot in common—great and lofty hopes and dreams as young adults, setbacks and changes along the way—“life happens”—and then the end.  The legacy of both Paul and Mr. Holland are in the lives they touched.  They made a difference.  So did those we remember today: each in their own way, they “kept the faith” by giving it away to others.

November 8                           “Firstfruits Giving”                                               Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Today I begin a three-week series of sermons on stewardship and giving  We look first at the Old Testament, and see that the principle of giving to God involves giving the Firstfruits—“off the top” and not leftovers—and giving of our best.  Only such is an offering is worthy of the God we worship, who has blessed us in so many ways.

November 15                         “The Privilege of Giving”                                        2 Corinthians 8:1-15

The Apostle Paul encourages the Corinthian church to follow the example of the churches to the north, who even though they were poverty-stricken and had undergone persecution, they were eager to give to the offering he was collecting for the needs of the mother church in Jerusalem.  He reminds them that giving is not a chore, nor a command, but a privilege—a grace.

November 22                         “The Dangers of Prosperity”                                             Luke 18:18-30