Sermons
You are a Caretaker of Creation and Creatures
ints Francis and Clare, brother and sister, are known for the simplicity of their lives, devotion to Jesus, and reverence for creation and all creatures. For them, creation and creatures were the handiwork of the “Creator God who was the parent of Jesus. It is fitting, on their feast day, to bless our pets and rededicate ourselves as caretakers and caregivers of God’s creation and creatures. Pet parenting is an expression of the role Clare and Francis believed God assigned us at the beginning of time. When God created the world, God endowed us with divine traits. God did this to equip us to partner with God. We are created to work alongside God as caregivers and caretakers.”
Where Was God?
“Have you ever wondered where God was when bad things happened? I have. When, and if, I get to heaven, I have a few questions for God: Where were you when my high school sweetheart was killed in a car accident? What were you doing during the mass shootings at Columbine High School, Sandy Hook Elementary School, or Robb Elementary School? Why did you allow the earth quake in Venezuela and the flood in Nepal? Where were you, God, on September 11, 2001?”
Search me?
Search me? Are there times when you cannot see what lies ahead? This is the case for me. I have concerns about the church’s future. I am unclear about what I will do when I retire. I have no clue about what lies ahead for my children. Do you have doubts about whether you are doing God’s will? The author of Psalm 139 had doubts. The Psalmist said, “search me.”
God is a lantern to my feet and a light upon my path. Psalm 119:105
Jesus taught in parables. There were times when Jesus used parables to obscure his meaning from adversaries, but mostly Jesus used parable to ensure everyone listening (believers and skeptics, educated and unlettered, Jew and Gentile, male and female, young and old) understood what he said. The parable in today’s Gospel (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23) uses gardening or farming as a metaphor for how people respond to God.
I love the Lord, because he heard my voice! Psalm 116:1
The psalmist proclaims,
“I love the Lord. I love the Lord because he heard my prayer.” (Psalm 116:1)