Entries by Kevin Ireland

Resurrection Now!

Resurrection Now! Luke 20:27-38 People say, “There’s no such thing as a dumb question.” And that’s mostly true, mostly. But then someone asks me: If vegetarians only eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat? Or, if God wanted us to eat vegetables, why did God make bacon taste so good? Or, how long is eternity, exactly? […]

Saints, Sinners, and Sycomores

Saints, Sinners, and Sycomores Luke 19:1-10 Jesus has been busy since last Sunday, when he told the parable of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee to those who trust in their own righteousness and look down on others. On his way to Jerusalem, he’s been blessing little children, telling a rich young ruler that it […]

Honest to God

Honest to God Luke 18:9-14 Our gospel lesson this morning immediately follows our parable last week about the persistent widow and the unjust judge — where we are reminded that if we pray for justice without working for justice, or prayers are hollow, and if we pray and work for justice without faith, we will […]

Power of Persistence

Power of Persistence Luke 18:1–8 Welcome to part two of our stewardship series, New Beginnings: Serving in Faith. We began last week with the story of the ten people healed by Jesus and the one who turned back to give thanks. We considered how gratitude leads to faith and faith leads to thanksgiving. We were […]

The Gift of Awe and the Awe of Giving

The Gift of Awe and the Awe of Giving Luke 17:11-19 Our gospel lesson today picks up right where we left off last week, when Jesus told his apostles that even the smallest amount of faith is enough, because, as one of you so succinctly summarized the sermon, faith is not a noun; it’s a […]