Who Ya Gonna Worship?

In today’s Gospel, Peter rebukes Jesus for predicting his coming death in Jerusalem. How does Peter's rebuke relate to the third and fourth commandments? Father Jeremiah helps us to see that Peter was taking God's name in vain and how we can more fully obey this commandment in our own lives. Out of this, we can find rest in God's name that has been placed upon us in our baptisms.

Image: The Ten Commandments, Lucas Cranach the Elder [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Located: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3A10_Gebote_(Lucas_Cranach_d_A).jpg

Who Ya Gonna Follow, The Ten Commandments

Jesus was driven into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit in order to be tempted by Satan. How does Jesus fulfill the first two commandments in his resisting Satan? This is the question that is explored in this first sermon on the Ten Commandments during this season of Lent.

Image: The Ten Commandments, Lucas Cranach the Elder [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Located: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3A10_Gebote_(Lucas_Cranach_d_A).jpg

Temptation and Deliverance

Why ask the Father to not lead us into temptation when God tempts no one? The answer is in what exactly are we actually asking. This petition only makes sense when paired with the final petition asking for deliverance from evil. This is the final sermon in our series on the Lord's Prayer.

Image: Lord's Prayer Plaque by John Kroll. No changes made. Used under License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jkroll/9525643993

Forgive Us Our Trespasses

This petition is a bold request of God! Forgive us our sins! What does it mean to ask this? What are we saying about ourselves? What are we saying that we need to do in response to this request? How can we forgive those who hurt us and sin against us? Father Jeremiah walks us through this petition and helps us to understand just what we are praying when we ask the Father to forgive our sins.

Image: Lord's Prayer Plaque by John Kroll. No changes made. Used under License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jkroll/9525643993

Give Us Our Daily Bread

We pray this prayer every week, but what do it's words mean? What is our daily bread that we need to ask for it daily? The bread we ask for is so much more than just food. "Give us this day our daily bread" asks God for more that you imagine. Listen to find out what this all means.

Image: Lord's Prayer Plaque by John Kroll. No changes made. Used under License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jkroll/9525643993

Thy Will Be Done

Father Jeremiah continues to lead us through the Lord's Prayer. Why do we pray, "Thy will be done"? What does it mean? What is God's will for us? Listen to discover more about this petition of the Lord's Prayer

Image: Lord's Prayer Plaque by John Kroll. No changes made. Used under License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jkroll/9525643993

Thy Kingdom Come

This week we consider the importance and meaning of the Kingdom of God and what it means that we pray to the Father for it to come. Listen to find out more!

Image: Lord's Prayer Plaque by John Kroll. No changes made. Used under License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jkroll/9525643993

Hallowed be Thy Name

Father Jeremiah continues his series on the Lord's Prayer. This week we look at the first petition, "Hallowed be Thy Name."  Why is God's name so important that we start with this petition? How is God's name hallowed? Listen to find out more!

Image: Lord's Prayer Plaque by John Kroll. No changes made. Used under License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jkroll/9525643993

Our Father in Heaven, John 1.1-18

On this First Sunday after Christmas, Father Jeremiah began a series on the Lord's Prayer. This sermon focuses on "Our Father, which art in heaven." He links our ability to pray this prayer to Jesus himself, the only begotten who is from the Father and perfectly reveals the Father to us. The series will continue through the season of Epiphany.

Image: Lord's Prayer Plaque by John Kroll. No changes made. Used under License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jkroll/9525643993

Preparation and Anticipation, Luke 1.26-38

This year, the fourth Sunday of Advent was also Christmas Eve. As such, our focus was on how all our preparation becomes anticipation when the time is right. Listen to find out about Israel's preparation and anticipation for the coming Messiah, whom we celebrate at Christmas.

Image 1: The Annunciation; Luca Giordano [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons. location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AThe_Annunciation_MET_DT404.jpg

Image: Adventskranz 4. Advent By Liesel (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ALiesel_22-12-2012_4._Advent.jpg

The Prophets of Advent

This week, our bishop came to visit our church. Bishop David preached on the prophets of Advent and the importance of their message to us today. 

Image: By Liesel (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liesel_09-12-2012_2._Advent.jpg)

Armor of Light, Christ Himself

In the Collect of the Day for the First Sunday of Advent, we ask for grace to put on the armor of light. What is that armor and why is it important for us to put it on? Listen to find out.

Image: Close-up of a first lit advent candle, by Per Ola Wilberg, used under Creative Commons Liscense 2.0, found at http://www.freestockphotos.biz/stockphoto/9550

The King and the Sheep, Matthew 25.31-46

What do the works performed by the sheep have to do with the necessity of faith? The King and Good Shepherd, Jesus, gathers all of His sheep together and separates them from the goats. Their good deeds are acknowledged as a demonstration of the faith they have in their Shepherd. What does this mean for us today?

Image: Last Judgment, by Ravenna. photographed by Nick Thompson. License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). Found at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimforest/6052391843

Gifts of a Merciful Father, Matthew 25.14-30

How do you view the master of the servants in Matthew 25.14-30? Is he a cruel man who takes from others what isn't is or is he a generous master who gives freely to his servants? How one views the master will affect how we view our Lord and Savior, Jesus, and his Father in heaven. WE consider just what is happening in the parable of the talents in this sermon.

Image: By Willem de Poorter (The Parable of The Talents) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Foolish and Wise, Matthew 25.1-13

The Kingdom of heaven is like ten virgins? What a strange picture that Jesus creates for us in our Gospel lesson for this Sunday. What does he mean by this parable? Hear what Father Jeremiah has to say about this passage for us today.

Image: By Meister des Evangeliars von Rossano [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMeister_des_Evangeliars_von_Rossano_002-cropped.jpg

Religious and Spiritual, Matthew 23.1-12

How is the saying "I'm spiritual, but not religious," just as much an error as the formality and religiosity of the Pharisees and Scribes? How does this apply to us? How can we avoid the pitfalls of this religiosity and legalism and the opposite error of throwing out all formality by claiming being 'spiritual'? In today's sermon, Fr. Jeremiah considers these things and how the answer is found in the humility of Jesus creating humility in us.

Image: By Church of England [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ABook_of_Common_Prayer_(1662).jpg)

Love God, Love Man, Matthew 22.34-36

In light of the Reformation, how is it even possible to approach a God who demands complete love of ourselves for himself? How do we serve him? Hear what how we respond to Jesus' statements today.

Image: By Ji-Elle (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons found at https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Vitrail_de_synagogue-Mus%C3%A9e_alsacien_de_Strasbourg.jpg

Rendering to God, Matthew 22.15-22

When Jesus was asked a question about rendering taxes to Caesar, he gave an answer that shocked everyone. He said one should! But alongside that he also told us to give to God what is his. What do we make of this today? How might we understand how Jesus perfectly rendered to God what is his? Does it matter to me?

Image: By DrusMAX (Self-photographed) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Wedding Guests and Garments, Matthew 22.1-14

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Image: Jan Brueghel the Elder [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AJan_Brueghel_(I)_-_Wedding_Banquet_-_WGA3572.jpg)

What's a wedding banquet with a bunch of random guests have to do with the kingdom of God? What do wedding clothes have to do with being welcomed into the kingdom? Is there a way to make sense of all of this? Listen to find out more from Father Jeremiah.

The Coming Condemnation, Matthew 21.33-44

The wicked tenants refused to give the owner of the vineyard his harvest and instead beat and killed his servants and son. What does this mean for us today? What does their condemnation and destruction have to do with how we respond to Jesus now? Listen to find out more.

Image: By Phillip Medhurst (Photo by Harry Kossuth) [FAL], via Wikimedia Commons