Pentecost 8C: July 22, 2007 - “Christ in You” July 21, 2007
Posted by Rev. Jared Tucher in Religion, Sermons.add a comment
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon this morning comes from the Epistle, which was read earlier.
I think it would be safe to say that we’re all different. We come from different places, different status in life. We have different jobs. We have different likes and dislikes. Though we share some similarities, for the most part, we’re different. However, we each share one common thread: we are all sinners living in a sinful world. It’s not something that we care to acknowledge about ourselves, but it’s true nonetheless.
We think that overall, we’re pretty good, for the most part, maybe. That’s where we’re wrong. We are not good people. We’re not even close to being good people. We can try to be good people, but we’re not. Even the apostle Paul, chief of sinners in his own eyes, is the first to tell you that you’re not good. He looked at his own life, that of the chief killer of Christians until his eyes were opened by Jesus Christ on the Damascus Road. When the scales fell off of his eyes, he saw his sinfulness. He knew that he was a sinner. Everywhere that Paul went, his message was the same: that the people he visited were sinners and were in need of salvation. The salvation which you need cannot be found in you or in the things of this world. True salvation can only be found in Jesus Christ.
Disappointed with my Motorola KRZR July 19, 2007
Posted by Rev. Jared Tucher in Technology.1 comment so far
I have to say that I’m a bit disappointed with my cell phone, a Motorola KRZR. This is the second one that I have had since I received it in April. The problem that I have with the phone is ringtones. Here’s the problem that I’m having. Let’s say that for my main ringtone, I select Ringtone A. Now let’s say that I would would like to make Ringtone B for you. I go under the Contacts and edit your information and give you Ringtone B. Well, it didn’t work on the first phone I had (plus I had another problem with it). After $50 through insurance and a new phone, the problem was the same on this phone as well. There was a software upgrade available. I had them flash the phone and install the upgrade. It worked in the store and it worked a couple of times once I got home. But now, the problem is the same as before: only Ringtone A will work, regardless of what ringtone I selected. So now I get to call insurance again tomorrow and see what they’ll do about it. Who knows, it may be a defective phone. But two phones in a row?…
Pentecost 7C: July 15, 2007 - “Neighbors” July 16, 2007
Posted by Rev. Jared Tucher in Religion, Sermons.add a comment
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God, our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon this morning comes from the Gospel which was read earlier.
It may seem odd that a biblical parable with so obvious a life goal, “You go and do likewise” should be triggered by a salvation concern, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life.” However peculiar the combination and irrespective of the sincerity and orthodoxy of the lawyer’s justification question, that concern is most relevant to the achievement of Jesus’ sanctification goal. We learn today that only He who justified and saved us eternally, Jesus, the ultimate Good Samaritan of the Gospel, empowers us to be compassionate like the good Samaritan of the parable.
Isn’t that the question we ask ourselves today, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” The answer is simple, isn’t it: just be good. But ask yourself this question: Are you a good person? You might think that you are. You’re in church today instead of sleeping. You’re giving money to church today instead of giving it to your favorite store in the mall. However, you are not good and neither am I. (more…)
Pentecost 6:July 8, 2007 - “Joys of Discipleship” July 6, 2007
Posted by Rev. Jared Tucher in Religion, Sermons.add a comment
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God, our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon this morning comes from the Gospel which was read earlier.
Hear again the words of the prophet, Isaiah. “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream…. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants…”
Any Jew who, during the time of Jesus, would have heard these words would have thought that good was in store for them. Maybe good was in store for them. However, bad could have been in store also.
All of us experience ups and downs, hills and valleys, joys and frustrations in our day-to-day lives. Now put on top of that our discipleship for Christ. If we were having a bad day before, now imagine that day AND trying to be a disciple of Jesus. In today’s Gospel reading, our Lord Jesus not only realistically recognizes this state of affairs, but, above all, encourages us with the good news that joy will have the last word in our discipleship. Jesus assures us today that the hardships and joys of discipleship for Christ climax in the ultimate joy: our names written in heaven.
The Eighth Commandment July 3, 2007
Posted by Rev. Jared Tucher in Catechism.add a comment
A couple of weeks ago during our Elder’s meeting, we were reading what Luther wrote regarding the Eighth Commandment in his Large Catechism. Below is a great quote talking about sin and gossip.
Therefore, in order to avoid such habitual sinning with the tongue, we should note that no one has authority publicly to judge and reprove his neighbor, not even if he has seen him commit a sin, unless he has specifically been given the authority to judge and reprove. For there is indeed a great difference between these two: judging a sin and knowing about a sin. Knowing about a sin does not involve the right to sit in judgment on it. I am of course able to see and hear my neighbor sinning, but I have no business reporting it all around town. If I poke my nose in and judge and condemn, then I fall into a worse sin than his. So when you get to know about a sin, let your ear become its grave and shovel the dirt in on top of it and do not resurrect it until the day you are appointed judge and thus have the duty to administer punishment by virtue of your office.
It’s a very good quote. All too often, we are quick to start the rumor mill about so-and-so and what they’re doing (or not doing). I wonder what we would be like if we did as Luther said and just bury all that we hear regarding a person’s sin and not spread the gossip fire…
