Sermons by The Rev Ken Wratten

3140 of 119 items

Pentecost 11C: Proper 16: 8/25/2019

8/25/2019
Pentecost 11 Yr C: Proper 16

In the Gospel reading today, Jesus performs another miraculous healing. The story also shows us yet another case of Jesus arguing with the religious leaders about their obsession with rules. The Pharisees took it quite literally that absolutely nothing that hinted of ‘work’ was to be done on the Sabbath; not even the work of healing somebody. Jesus saw that extreme interpretation as ludicrous, and he had no reservations about telling them so.

But there is another dimension to this story that has nothing to do with the Sabbath, and everything to do with the healing Jesus brings to US.

Pentecost 10C: Proper 15: 8/18/2019

8/18/2019
Pentecost 10 Yr C: Proper 15

Jesus realized that in a few weeks He would be immersed (his word was ‘baptized’) in the agonizing pain of his Passion. Because he knew his time on earth was coming to its end, he felt an urgency to kindle the fire he had brought to earth.  The fire He brought isn’t physical fire; it is the burning, exciting, dynamic presence of God in the lives of people.

Pentecost 7C: Proper 12: 7/28/2019

7/28/2019
Pentecost 7 Yr C: Proper 12

I have a hard time reading today’s Old Testament passage without laughing at Abraham’s boldness. He was bargaining with God about saving Sodom.  “Will you sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it?”  And then 45; then 40; then 30, 20, and finally Abraham had God agree that “for the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 

I think Abraham should get an ‘A’ grade for persistence.  He wouldn’t let the discussion go, but kept asking with confidence that God would answer him; and at the same time he showed humility and reverence that after all, this was GOD he was bargaining with.

Pentecost 4C: Proper 9: 7/7/2019

7/7/2019
Pentecost 4 Yr C: Proper 9

A core purpose in our life as Christians is Discipleship; building up our faith by learning more about God’s Word, more about taking on the character of Christ, and how to apply biblical principles in a realistic way to the way we live our lives.

The Gospel lesson today is about Jesus conducting field training of a large group of disciples. 

Pentecost 3C: Proper 8: 6/30/2019

6/30/2019
Pentecost 3 Yr C: Proper 8

The prophet Elijah passed his cloak onto Elisha. That cloak represented his power as a prophet of God, and all that he had learned, and all that he had been empowered to do. This scene is not just about the cloak, but it is about passing forward the story; his understanding of Faith in God; passed from mentor to student; enabling the next generation, and anchoring the next generation to something thought out and powerful; and making sure through that passing forward, that true Faith would endure.

Pentecost 2C: Proper 7: 6/23/2019

6/23/2019
Pentecost 2 Yr C: Proper 7

Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” The lake was the Sea of Galilee, and that trip took them out of Jewish territory into the land of the Gerasenes. This was Gentile land; where people did not know God. And in that land Jesus met a man who was overtaken by demons. Imagine being one of the witnesses of this event. The people in that town obviously knew the man; for many years he had worn no clothes, lived in the cemetery, and sometimes had to be chained up and guarded; but he was able to break the chains and run away. Jesus knew that what was at work was evil spirits. And so he asked, “What is your name?”  The answer should have put chills down the spine of every person who heard the reply; “Legion”. A legion was the largest unit in the Roman army; about 6,000 soldiers. But that wasn’t what made the people afraid.

Trinity Sunday: 6/16/2019

6/16/2019
Trinity Sunday Yr C

Today is Trinity Sunday. In the rest of our church year we read scripture for history, stories, or parables about what God DOES in the world; today’s lessons focus on WHO GOD IS. God is Spirit, and so the more we can understand the nature of God, the more likely we are to recognize God’s presence and activity around us. Christianity is unique in this understanding of a triune God, and it offers us a way to get our heads around the works of our infinite God.

There is an intellectual side to our understanding the nature of God, and there is an experiential side to it.