Dove of Peace Lutheran Church Sermons

Witness is your personal story. Or my personal story. Or Mary's personal story. It may not be theologically correct. Mary did not have the benefit of a seminary education. Like the disciples, Mary did not fully understand Jesus when he was sitting right there with her. Her witness, however-- even though she did not understand it herself-- her witness was crucial to Christianity.

God is saying to his people,"Can we talk?"... God wants to talk to his people about social injustice. His people have a temple, where they celebrate holy days in God's honor, and sacrifice animals in God's honor. There's a bunch of ritual. And meanwhile the hungry are not fed. The weak and the disadvantaged are run over. The rich get richer. And the poor get poorer. And God wants to talk about this."

This sermon is on the topic of worship. I think we need to make sure we understand what is going on. Even though it may be beneath the surface of things, God's Grace is working and active. And our mission is to receive it well, and share it well. Two verbs. And worship, which is the center of Christian life and of the Church's existence... worship is the most important place of all for claiming God's active Grace and sharing it.

A response to the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis. "I have come to believe that what you most need to hear from me this morning is some frank talk about what kind of a church we are."