Sermon: “A Contest of Gods”, 1 Kings 17:1-16 (November 3, 2024)

This is a passage all about idolatry. It may not be obvious at first glance, but it’s true. The Ahab mentioned here was the 7th ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel (some 60-odd years after Solomon’s reign ended), and he’s widely considered to be one of – if not THE – worst king in Israel’s history. Scripture itself says that he “did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him.”

Not only did he hasten the moral decline of his kingdom, but through his infamous marriage to Jezebel, he became a Ba’al worshiper (Dun dun DUN!). Needless to say, this is an especially bad look for a monarch whose entire reign is predicated on his people’s worship of YHWH. For this reason, we see Elijah coming out of nowhere in his first-ever scriptural appearance to call out the king on his idolatry. The proclamation he makes in verse 1 is a direct challenge to Ba’al’s supposed authority – a false god can’t save you from drought, no matter how long and hard you pray.

Sermon: “A Biblical Case of Affluenza”, 2 Samuel 7:1-17 (October 20,2024)

For many celebrities, one of the first things they do when they become famous is to buy a new house for their parents.[1] It’s a way to say “thank you” for the support they’ve received over the years, especially if they struggled for a while before making it big. Some, like Chris Hemsworth and Margot Robbie, pay off the mortgage for the house that their parents already own, while others, like Pete Davidson and Justin Bieber, gift their parents an entirely new home.

Others, however, don’t just buy houses for their parents; they buy mansions. Celebrities like Beyonce, Rihanna, and Leonardo DiCaprio each spent multiple millions of dollars to buy new living spaces for their parents. Obviously, these celebs can afford such lavish gifts, and there’s no reason to begrudge them their success, but it certainly puts their prosperity on obvious display, doesn’t it? And regardless of their actual intentions, it makes it absolutely clear to everyone who the family breadwinner is.

Sermon: “(God the) Father Knows Best”, 1 Samuel 8:4-14, 19-21/John 18.33-37 (November 21, 2021)

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When I was a kid, my favorite time of the day was when I got home from school, and that was for one reason and one reason only—snack time. (I suspect that food has always given me an abnormally large dopamine rush, because I’ve *always* looked forward to meals as the highlight of my day.) Of course, I had my snacking preferences: candy was ideal, but cookies were also acceptable, as were chocolate-covered granola bars or potato chips (in a pinch). I would always try to steer my mom towards these items whenever I accompanied her to the grocery store.

Unfortunately, my mother and I fundamentally disagreed about what constituted a good snack. I would lobby for a new stash of my favorites, envisioning frosted animal crackers or Oreo cookies, but more often than not would wind up with string cheese, apples, or even (*shudder*) NON-chocolate-covered granola bars. Like, not even the kind with chocolate chips in them. JUST granola.

Sermon: “The Fellowship of the King”, Mark 1:14-20 (January 24, 2021)

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We all know our job as Christians, right? The resurrected Jesus told his disciples what they were supposed to do in one of his final messages to them; we call it “The Great Commission.” All four gospels include some version of it. In Mark’s gospel, from which we take today’s reading, Jesus says, “Go into all the world and proclaim the Good News.” Huh. Not very instructive, is it? For a job so important that it makes the cut in all four gospels, Jesus’ very last words to his disciples, we really don’t have a lot information to get us started. Where should we begin?