Guerrilla Christianity

Sermon #600

Why were Jesus' followers so willing to die for the truth of the resurrection?  Why was the Christian Sabbath shifted from the seventh day to the first day of the week?  Why did Paul insist that believing in the resurrection was of utmost importance?  On this Easter Sunday (2024) we take a look at a letter that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth in 54 AD, and he stresses that the knowledge of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the good news of the gospel, and by it we who are believers are being saved.  It's not some throwaway doctrine that is unnecessary on this side of the Enlightenment, when many religious leaders are embarassed by the miracles of Jesus.  The resurrection is THE paramount miracle of Jesus, that he died and rose again according to the scriptures, and in fact everything we believe about Jesus Christ depends on the truth of the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 31, 2024

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S.D.G.

Each year on Good Friday, the churches of the Ministerium of Penns Grove, Carneys Point, and Pedricktown hold a joint worship service from Noon until 3 PM. The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross are presented, with worship music and sermon messages for each word. Each year for the last six years I have participated in this service, and each year I have preached on a different word. This year (2020) was to be my seventh year, but because of the Coronavirus, the service was cancelled. And so, because I had already written the sermon, I recorded it... But I also decided to compile all seven of the messages into one podcast for Good Friday. And so, in the order below, we present to you the Seven Last Words of Christ from the Cross.

1. “Father, forgive them…” Sermon #387Luke 23:34April 10, 2020 – Ebenezer UMC

2. “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43“The Tale of the Thief” Sermon #51April 18, 2014 – St. Paul’s UMC

3. “Behold your son…Behold your mother”John 19:26-27“The Heart of the Master” Sermon #161March 25, 2016 – St. Paul’s UMC

4. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”Matthew 27:46“Forsaken” Sermon #219April 14, 2017 – St. Paul’s UMC

5. “I Thirst.” Sermon #107John 19:28April 13, 2015 – St. Paul’s UMC

6. “It is finished.” Sermon #332John 19:30April 19, 2019 – New Hope UMC

7. “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit” Sermon #273Luke 23:46March 30, 2018 – New Hope UMC

Compiled on April 5, 2020 (originally published April 10, 2020)

S.D.G.

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Tenebrae is a Latin word that means "Darkness." The Tenebrae service is a reading of the Passion account from John's Gospel, broken down into 16 readings, and after each of the first fourteen readings a candle is extinguished until the entire sanctuary is clothed in darkness. This represents the light of Christ being extinguised on the cross, and it also represents the three hours of darkness that the people experienced as He hung on the cross. After the 15th reading, a loud noise is made, symbolizing the earthquake that occurred at the death of Jesus. It is a somber and solemn service of contemplation. We have attempted to recreate the service in its entirety here, and hope that you will be blessed in its re-enactment.

Entrance - Gathering

The Call to Worship:God is light, in whom there is no darkness at all.Jesus Christ is the light of the world.And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world,and we loved darkness rather than light.

Hymn:Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed (UMH #294)

Opening prayer: Maundy Thursday (UMH #283)

The Passion of Jesus ChristSixteen readings, after each is extinguised one candle until the sanctuary is in "Darkness" (Latin: Tenebrae)

Sending Forth

Hymn:Were You There (UMH #288)

Dismissal with BlessingAll depart in silence.

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 4, 2020 (Originally published April 9, 2020)

S.D.G.

March 27, 2024

Old Testament: Isaiah 40:4-9a

Psalter: Psalm 70

Epistle Lesson: Hebrews 12:1-3

Gospel Lesson: John 13:21-32

Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

S.D.G.

Sermon #598

When we look at the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, we find a story that we know very well.  After all, we celebrate Palm Sunday every year; ever since we were kids in Sunday School we learned about how Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and the people threw their cloaks and palm branches at his feet, crying "Hosanna!"  But it's that word, Hosanna, which always confused me as a child.  I thought it was a cry of praise for Jesus the conquering king.  But it is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew words "yosa 'ana" which means "Save now, we beseech you!"  The people were crying out to be saved, and Jesus came to do just that... But not how the people expected.  

Psalm 118

Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 24, 2024

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S.D.G.

March 26, 2024

Old Testament: Isaiah 49:1-7

Psalter: Psalm 71:1-14

Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Gospel Lesson: John 12:20-36

Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

S.D.G.

March 25, 2024

Old Testament: Isaiah 42:1-9

Psalter: Psalm 36:5-11

Epistle Lesson: Hebrews 9:11-15

Gospel Lesson: John 12:1-11

Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

S.D.G.

Sermon #437

Like so many other stories in the Bible, the account of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem is so familiar to us that we might just gloss over it's deeper meaning.  What we see in these eleven brief verses in Mark's gospel is that Jesus is who he says he is - the very Son of God, God of very God, and complete and utter master over time and space.  And what we might deem as human failure after such a great victory, God considered to be the ultimate victory over sin and death.  This Palm Sunday I pray that you will hear these words anew and learn from God's Spirit as we celebrate God's coming kingdom.

Mark 11:1-11

Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 28, 2021 (Originally published March 31, 2021)

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S.D.G.

March 24, 2024

 

Liturgy of the Palms:

 

Gospel Lesson: Mark 11:1-11

 

Psalter: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

 

Liturgy of the Passion:

 

Old Testament: Isaiah 50:4-9a

 

Psalter: Psalm 31:9-16

 

Epistle Lesson: Philippians 2:5-11

 

Gospel Lesson: Mark 14:1-15:47

 

Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

S.D.G.

Sermon #105

Jesus' ministry began with the Jews, God's chosen people whom he came to save.  But in today's text we see a group of non-Jews seeking to find Jesus, and to see what all the comotion is about.  Like the Greeks, we need to see Jesus revealed to us, not just as a great teacher, not just as a worker of miracles, but as the very Son of God who came to the world He created, to save it from sin and death.  So grab your Bible, turn it to John chapter 12, and prepare your heart and mind as we declare, We wish to see Jesus.

John 12:20-33

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 22, 2015 (Originally published May 11, 2015)

S.D.G.