11. How to get the nod from God (Pharisee and tax Collector) Luke 18.9-16
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- Written by: Dale
- Category: Luke
{podcast id=208}
How to get the nod from God (Pharisee and Tax Collector) Luke 18.9-16
Sermon preached at a baptism service at Christ the King Willetton on 11 November 2012
How to avoid the holier than thou people: see God for who he is; see yourself for what you are; cry out for mercy; go with God.
Up to scratch? 11 Nov 12
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- Written by: Dale
- Category: Weekly Reflections
Up to scratch?
Nobody likes a hypocrite, or pretenders in general. The trouble with hypocrites is that they give the impression they are better than us. Or at least we get the feeling they are looking down on us.
One of the ways to deal with this is to look down on them. After all they are a despised class, and even Jesus disapproved of them. Hypocrites are pretenders, actors, presenting an image that is false. The inner reality doesn’t match the outward show.
Even though they are pretenders, we can distinguish them from actors, and “celebrities” since we don’t expect the latter to be anything more than what they show. It is the claim to reality (and virtue) that marks the hypocrite.
So why don’t we like them? If we were honest we might say, ‘Because they look a bit like us.’. But as well, we don’t like being shown up. In fact some of us might feel that anyone who shows us up must be a hypocrite.
But we don’t all feel like that.
10. The Persistent Widow Luke 18.1-8
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- Written by: Dale
- Category: Luke
{podcast id=207}
The Persistent Widow Luke 18.1-8
Sermon preached at Christ the King Willetton on 4 November 2012
How to keep praying and not to lose heart. Some models of praying the details.
Not losing heart 4 Nov 12
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- Written by: Dale
- Category: Weekly Reflections
Not losing heart
A few weeks ago we were waiting for a book to arrive that had been ordered from the eastern states. It was ordered on a Monday and had to be here by Friday to meet a certain deadline. By the Thursday it had not arrived, so a back-up plan was prepared – a different book on hold at the local bookshop. Telephone calls revealed that it had been posted on the Monday. By our 1pm Friday deadline it still had not arrived, so I went to the bookshop, bought the back-up book and delivered it. And when I got home the original book was there on the door step.
So what was the problem? Slow transport? Got lost in the sorting room? Too many stops on the way? Mondays and Fridays are not good days to get things done? Bad expectations? Parcel post is not like email? Impatience?
I thought it was a bit like praying. Sometimes it seems that we pray and nothing happens for some time. Perhaps the prayer has gone astray in the mail. Perhaps the answer has been held up. Perhaps there is no answer, we wonder.
8. Shrewd Investing Luke 16.1-15
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- Written by: Dale
- Category: Luke
{podcast id=206}
Shrewd Investing Luke 16.1-15
Sermon preached at Christ the King Willetton on Sunday 28 October 2012
Jesus teaches disciples to be shrewd with the wealth they have so as to gain friends in heaven who are there because of what we did with the money God gave us.
Throwing money away? 28 Oct 12
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- Written by: Dale
- Category: Weekly Reflections
Throwing money away?
Do you scatter your money? Well yes, of course. Unless all of it is kept safe from traders and relatives and people who send you bills. The better question is where you scatter your money. Perhaps scatter implies lack of thought. What about distribute?
And why are we talking about this? Because last week’s story of the father and his sons (Luke 15) referred twice to the younger son scattering his money. Although our translations said squandering. And this week’s story (Luke 16) uses the same word about the steward, except our translation says wasted.
Surely, scattering, squandering, wasting and distributing just reflect different value judgments on the use of money. The Psalmist (in Ps 112) says those who fear the Lord scatter abroad their gifts to the poor (although the NRSV says distribute – sounds a bit more buttoned up don’t you think?). Paul even implies that God acts like that (2 Cor 9).
How to use uranium 21 Oct 12
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- Written by: Dale
- Category: Weekly Reflections
How to use uranium
The recent discussion about selling uranium to India raises a prior question. If uranium has such dark uses, why did God put it in the earth in the first place? Or more generally, why did God put humans on such a dangerous planet? Because it is not just uranium that is a problem.
Although, I suppose that, left to itself the planet would carry on pretty much undisturbed, except for the occasional earthquake. Perhaps the question is why did God put such dangerous creatures on the earth? Humans I mean, not the usual dangerous animals.
To be fair to God, the original humans were meant to enjoy the earth in the company of God himself. Presumably with that kind of mentor, not too much would go wrong. But with the attempted coup against God, humans were pushed out into a world of difficulties. Made more difficult because of their estrangement from the one person who could help them.
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