Sermons from St. Stephen's

Today the prophet Amos calls for justice to roll down like waters. Paul urges us to encourage one another with the promised coming of the Lord. Jesus tells the

parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids. Surrounded by the faithful of every time and place, we celebrate Christ’s coming in our midst in the word of

life and the feast of victory—the marriage feast of the Lamb.

ll Saints celebrates the baptized people of God, living and dead, who are the body of Christ. As November heralds the dying of the landscape in many northern regions, the readings and liturgy call us to remember all who have died in Christ and whose baptism is complete. At the Lord’s table we gather with the faithful of every time and place, trusting that the promises of God will be fulfilled and that all tears will be wiped away in the new Jerusalem.

Rooted in the past and growing into the future, the church must always be reformed in order to live out the love of Christ in an ever-changing world. We celebrate the good news of God’s grace, that Jesus Christ sets us free every day to do this life-transforming work. Trusting in the freedom given to us in baptism, we pray for the church, that Christians will unite more fully in worship and mission

Throughout our lives, we are empowered by the loyalty and generosity of Jesus to give to God the

things that are God’s. We offer our resources for the good of our neighbors. We offer our time, investing in

the work of the gospel in our communities and beyond. And we offer our very selves, pledging our undivided loyalty to Jesus, who is loyal to us first.

In today’s Gospel, the parable tells us of one guest without a wedding robe, who winds up outside the joy of the feast. This can cause us to worry or despair. Do we have a wedding robe fit for the kingdom of heaven? What happens to us if we do not? Our baptism in Jesus, however, reminds us that we have no need to fear. We have been clothed not with a robe but with the grace of Jesus, which assures us that we, who have been gathered into the feast of the reign of God, have a place and an inheritance among God’s people. Gathered around that table of grace, we too are sent to share the good news and welcome others into the reality of God’s reign.

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus tells a vineyard parable, which serves as an image of Israel, the prophets’ mission, and Christ’s death. For Christians, the vineyard also speaks of God’s love poured out in the blood of Christ, given to us for the forgiveness of sin. Grafted onto Christ the vine at baptism, we are nourished with wine and bread so that we may share Christ’s sufferings and know the power of his resurrection.

Matthew narrates one of Jesus’ controversial parables in which Jesus says that the reign of God is like that of a landowner who pays his workers the same wage no matter what time of day they began to work. When God changes God’s mind about punishing Nineveh for their evil ways, Jonah is angry. Yet God is gracious and merciful, abounding in steadfast love. In baptism we receive the grace of God that is freely given to all. As Martin Luther wrote, in the presence of God’s mercy we are all beggars.

In today’s second reading Paul questions why we judge one another, since we all stand before the

judgment of God. Yet we do sin against one another, and Jesus’ challenge that we forgive seventy-seven

times reveals God’s boundless mercy. When we hear the words of forgiveness in worship and sign

ourselves with the cross, we are renewed in baptism to be signs of reconciliation in the world.

In Isaiah we hear that God’s house shall be a house of prayer for all people and that God will

gather the outcasts of Israel. The Canaanite woman in today’s gospel is a Gentile, an

outsider, who is unflinching in her request that Jesus heal her daughter. As Jesus commends

her bold faith, how might our church extend its mission to those on the margins of society?

In our gathering around word and meal we receive strength to be signs of comfort, healing,

and justice for those in need.