"By What Authority?"

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Authority is a topic of great concern to many people. Just the mention of the word conjures up many and various images and concepts in the mind. Authority is important, but is also easily abused and often mis-handled.

On one hand, we want people to speak and act with authority. When a public figure or a researcher makes a statement, it is assumed, generally, that he has the authority to make the statement, and the expertise and data to substantiate it. Based on an authoritative statement from the experts, we make a decision. When the Congress passes legislation or the president gives an order, they do it on the basis of the authority vested in them by the people of the United States of America.

On the other hand, much of the political rhetoric these days centers around who has the authority to do what. Does the president have the constitutional authority to force his policies? Does the Supreme Court have the authority to hand down this or that ruling? Does the federal government have the authority to force its will on the states? A base of authority is what separates irrational, wild guessing from reasoned, informed decisions.

"I Choose to Give"

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

It is no strange thing that you should be scandalized when someone gets something he did not earn. Something about that just does not feel right. You worked hard for your money, and so you have more right to the comforts it can buy than the guy who never worked a day in his life. Those who simply inherit the fortunes of others may be blessed, but they are lazy, at least in the eyes of many in this world. No work, no eat – that is the pattern of this life, or at least it should be, by all accounts.

And yet there are many who live not by the sweat of their own brows, but by the hand of the government and the tax dollars of their neighbors. Our land teems with those who do better on the dole than if they actually worked for a living, given their meagre background and skills. We often feel a sense of disgust toward those who game the system, taking from the hardworking and giving to the lazy, while the rich look on with derision at this middle- and lower-class bickering over pennies.

Put on Christ - Platte/Sebastian Wedding

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today, you gathered here today have, as they say, “cleaned up good.” You showered and washed, shaved and scrubbed. You primped and plucked. You had your hair cut and your nails done. You dressed yourself in beautiful finery, and decorated yourself with make-up and jewelry. All this in an effort to be the best you can be for each other. Who would not want to present himself at the best and brightest and most wonderful for his bride?

But what about the inside? Is the inside as clean and polished and beautiful as the outside? Left to your own devices, the answer would be no. In the verses preceding our epistle lesson, the apostle gives an account of what the heart of man is like. St. Paul instructs,

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.

+ Leslie A Miller +

“Sir, We Wish to See Jesus”

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In the Gospel lesson just read, Jesus and His disciples were in Jerusalem worshiping at the Passover feast, when some Greeks came to the disciples and asked, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” What a question of faith. For this is what shapes our whole lives in faith – the desire to see Jesus.

You and I wish to see Jesus also, as did Les. Many people spend their whole lives in search of Jesus, whether they know it or not. This is even evidenced by the popular question asked by Protestant sidewalk evangelists: “Have you found Jesus?” But where do we find God? Many people have many different answers to that.

How Often Will He Forgive?

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today, as we gather in the house of the Lord, we remember the events of September 11, 2001. It has been ten years, although to some it seems that time has stood still. Those directly and personally affected still reel from the aftermath of that day. Indeed, our entire nation, and the world, has been forever changed in so many ways.

That Tuesday morning introduced into the heart of America the fear of terrorism on our own soil. Many sat in disbelief at the idea that such an attack could happen in our land, the greatest nation on earth. There were many who became deathly afraid of flying afterward, and to this day, some will not take to the sky because of 9/11. Others fear to be in crowds, or in tall buildings, lest terrorists strike again in the same way. People are visibly uncomfortable sitting next to one who is perceived to look like a Muslim on an airplane or other public transit.

The Greatest in the Kingdom

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In today's Gospel lesson, the disciples come to Jesus with a rather misguided, but all-too-common question. Their question is one that we all like to ask from time to time “Who is the greatest?” You and I all want to be the best, the brightest, the most successful, the greatest. Even if you cannot be the grade-A, certified best at everything, you still want to be the greatest at fill-in-the-blank.

Because of this compulsion, we have seen an explosion of self-esteem boosters, ranging from the cute and relatively benign to the just plain ridiculous. Go to a department store just before Mother's Day, and you will see the shelves littered with clothing and trinkets emblazoned with “#1 Mom”. Kids will squabble endlessly to win the title of “best friend”. Of course, these things are relatively harmless, but it doesn't stop there.