Sermons

The thirteenth chapter of Paul's first letter to the Church at Corinth might well qualify as one of the most familiar, and most beloved, passages in the whole Bible. It is read as a part of both weddings and funerals. It even appears on Valentine's Day cards. It really does represent Paul at his poetic finest.
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In Mark's Gospel Jesus begins his public ministry by declaring that God's reign is here, now, in the midst of us. He can make such a powerful proclamation with absolute confidence because he has the insight to recognize that this has always, and will always, be true. That, in summary form, is what Jesus' ministry is all about - opening our eyes and our hearts and our lives to the ongoing reality of God's active and loving presence in the midst of us.
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My name is Roger. That's what people call me. It is how I think of myself. I'm a "Roger." I can't really imagine being a "Jeff" or a "Ted" or a "Jim." For most of us our name is one of our most important possessions.

And yet, for all the importance we attach to our names, most of the time they still don't carry the kind of depth of meaning that has been associated with names in other cultures and other times. In the world of the Bible, for example, names were often understood to be a reflection of the essential nature of that to which the name was attached. Names had meaning. Dramatic changes of circumstance or status were often marked with a change of name. Abram and Sarai become Abraham and Sarah. Simon becomes Peter. Saul becomes Paul. Even today we see remnants of this understanding in places like the Catholic Church, where the person who is elected Pope takes on a new name.
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"Arise! Shine! For your light has come, and the glory of God has risen upon you." (Isaiah 60:1) When the prophet Isaiah wrote these words the people to whom they were addressed had a hard time believing them. There wasn't much happening that seemed to indicate there was any light shining in their lives. It required looking beyond the present circumstances and beneath the surface of what appeared to be true. It required a hopeful vision which was deeply rooted in a trusting confidence that God was, in fact, still present and still active.
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