Sermon for Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – Genesis 18:1-10a

How’s the weather treating you? Hot? Sticky? Who’s a fan? Who’s not? There’s something about this kind of hot weather that weighs on me after a while. Usually I’m full of energy and hustling on a whole bunch of projects, but right now it’s kind of a monumental effort for me to do anything at all. Which is pretty frustrating, but maybe it’s a good lesson in patience. It won’t be summer forever. Or I hope not! Thanks, global warming! But somehow it kind of makes me picture a city street where you’ve got a row of front porches or stoops where folks are just sort of sitting and watching time pass by. Some folks are fanning themselves. Some are sipping a glass of water or lemonade. Not a lot of energy. Not lot of moving around. Just watching and waiting for something to change. But you kind of get the feeling not much ever changes. Some folks are trying to get work but no one ever calls them back. Some folks wonder when the city is ever going to pave those craters in the street that destroy tires. Some folks wonder about the absentee landlords letting some of the houses sit abandoned for years and invite trouble. A lot of needs that won’t go away. A lot of folks waiting for a change that never seems to happen. After a while you wonder if anyone cares.

And so we have today’s first reading from Genesis. The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of MAMRA, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. Now, that’s actually a weird thing to say, because we think this is actually Hebron in the West Bank of Palestine, and their weather is a little cooler than ours, but let’s go with it anyway. Point being Abraham feels stuck. Worn down. God always making promises but nothing ever changes. So how did Abraham get here?

Sermon for Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – Luke 10:25-37

So, a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan walk into a bar. Ouch!

Is there a better-known parable than the Good Samaritan? Even folks who have never read the bible seem to know what it means to be a good Samaritan. We’ve got laws named for him. Sometimes when you’re driving on 465, you might see a CVS/Samaritan van pulled over to help out a stranded motorist. But why is this story so popular? Maybe it’s because it sounds like a simple lesson about being a good neighbor. You don’t have to be Christian to know that’s a good idea. But what if there’s more to the story? What if Jesus is talking about something a lot more controversial than just being helpful people? I mean, Mister Rogers was always telling us to help others and no one tried to crucify him, so let’s dig a little deeper into what Jesus is saying.