tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82656042024-03-13T04:03:18.710-06:00Kevin PowellMay you see the face of Jesus in everyone you meet. And may everyone you meet see the face of Jesus in you.
Those looking for my sermons, please go to <a href="http://kevinsermons.blogspot.com">TheWordProclaimed </a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.comBlogger1221125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-55366964787443453252014-12-21T13:32:00.000-07:002014-12-21T13:34:10.982-07:00Advent 4B Series: "From Humbug to Hallelujah!"
How do you want to be remembered?
I’m going to tell you what you already know. You WILL die one day. There’s no escaping that fact. One day you WILL be put into the ground and dirt WILL be thrown on your face. There WILL be a day when tomorrow won’t come.
And when they put you in the grave, what will people then say about you? How will those you love describe your life? What words will the Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-88299142343644050292014-09-12T13:47:00.001-06:002014-09-12T13:47:20.785-06:00Ten Years On!On Tuesday I had a birthday, of sorts. This little blog turned 10! I can't
believe it's been a whole decade since I started it! While I haven't
been updating it (I'm actually working on a new one), I'm keeping this
one around for old time's sake. I'll update it from time-to-time to keep
it somewhat fresh. Here's my first post from September 9, 2004. Enjoy!
Inaugural Post
Hi Folks,
This Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-81226845433290640902014-04-19T08:02:00.001-06:002014-04-19T08:02:25.916-06:00Lamentations for Holy SaturdayO God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of
your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so
may we await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to
newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-75018789461453176892014-02-24T08:38:00.000-07:002014-02-24T08:38:01.352-07:00Sermon: Epiphany 7ASo this isn’t just some hippy-dippy, airy-fairy, idea that sounds good on paper, and preaches well in a sermon. But these tools have been used in real-world, flesh-and-blood, life-and death situations, and have brought freedom to oppressed people.While Jesus doesn’t provide a solution to every oppressive encounter, he’s pretty clear about what it means to be different.When the world lashes out Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-45204768600695780372013-12-18T10:02:00.000-07:002013-12-18T10:02:21.620-07:00A week until Christmas......and all I have to do is print out the bulletins. Sermons are prepared. Prayers written. Gifts bought and delivered. I even hung up my one Christmas decoration; a star that my youngest daughter made for me.And after that, I have to think about Christmas 1A, where we abruptly shift gears, and move from embracing a baby in barn, to mourning the deaths of hundreds of babies, because of that one Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-39849611306759441832013-10-06T12:09:00.004-06:002013-10-06T12:09:42.294-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 20C
...so we come to church with our tiny faith tucked neatly in our pocket, out of sight, but hoping that here - among God’s people, through God’s redeeming Word and saving sacrament, our little bundle of faith will grow into maturity. The details may be different but the concern is common to everyone.You think that your faith could be larger than it is. You feel like you lack the strength of Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-35992321041863242282013-09-15T14:55:00.000-06:002013-09-16T18:26:25.502-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 17C
It’s no wonder why so many
people are turned off by Christianity, when there’s so many negative
voices dominating religious discourse. When I encounter an atheist, or
agnostic, or someone who simply walked away from Christianity, I
usually encounter someone who’s been hurt by Christians. And I hear all
sorts of stories of Christians behaving badly.
I hear stories
about the mean Sunday Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-19674828567737901212013-08-27T13:37:00.001-06:002013-08-27T13:37:16.059-06:00"Pastor, is that an iPhone in Your Pocket?" or "Six Reasons I Use Social Media for Ministry"NB: This is a guest post for Ryan Holtz's blog which can be found here. Check it out.“Wow, I’ve never meet a pastor who uses social media like you do!” I
often hear. Which surprises me. Because social media use among clergy is
growing. And social media has become an important part of my ministry.
It’s the way the world is talking!
Here are six reasons why I use social media for ministry:
1. ItAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-57914742841120810902013-08-11T12:13:00.000-06:002013-08-11T12:13:04.297-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 12C
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”I don’t know what you hear in this passage, but sometimes such promises increase my blood pressure. Mainly because of the second half of Jesus’ statement where Jesus fleshes out what he means:“Sell your possessions and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-44091315732957737792013-06-16T17:26:00.000-06:002013-06-16T17:26:34.802-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 4C
"You know, pastor, " he said. "There are a lot of PEOPLE in our churches but there aren't very many CHRISTIANS.""I beg your pardon," I replied."There are too many people who go to church but don't live by God's law, they live just like everyone else. They're fake Christians," he said."Is that right?" I replied, turning my chair to indicate that this was a conversation I no interest in being a Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-88245398195077383072013-05-19T12:18:00.002-06:002013-05-19T12:18:14.318-06:00Sermon: Day of Pentecost C
One thing I find troubling about the Christian church is that we too often seem to be facing in the wrong direction. We look backwards in history rather than forward in hope. We look to the past for inspiration rather than to the future with expectation. This is especially true when we talk about our beliefs. We trip over ourselves trying to prove that what we believe now is the same thing as Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-78550697220852092392013-05-05T11:56:00.003-06:002013-05-05T11:56:39.729-06:00Sermon: Easter 6C“I’d like you to baptize my baby,” she said, on the other end of the phone.“I’d be glad to,” I replied. “What’s involved?” she asked“Well, I’d like to meet with you and we can talk about that. When can you meet?” I asked“How’s Sunday at 1:00?” she said.“How about you come to church and see what we’re all about then we’ll meet in my office after worship,” I suggested. “Ummmm...no, I don’t think soAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-46291465868204975872013-04-28T12:04:00.000-06:002013-04-28T12:04:16.805-06:00Sermon: Easter 5CI wasn’t going to answer the door. I should have ignored it.
My
sermon is usually put to bed well before Saturday night, but this
particular week I guess I was lazy, because I was in my office banging
away on the computer when I should have been at home in front of the TV
watching Hockey Night in Canada.Maybe I was being punished for my sloth.I answered the door.“We
want to talk about God,Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-53911876635462576452013-04-07T17:40:00.003-06:002013-04-07T17:40:34.061-06:00Sermon: Easter 2C
"The door was locked for fear of the Jews," John says in today’s gospel.Maybe. But I’m sure there was more to it than that. But John couldn’t just come out and say it.Yes, Jesus' disciples were probably afraid that their fellow Jews might have wanted to see them on the business end of a cross. But that's probably not the only reason the door was locked. They might have been afraid of Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-25167951766764352092013-04-01T09:45:00.001-06:002013-04-01T09:45:13.344-06:00Melito of Sardis: Easter Sermon
April 1 is Melito's Feast Day. Here is his Easter sermon for Easter Monday.
And so he was lifted up upon a tree and an inscription was attached indicating who was being killed. Who was it? It is a grievous thing to tell, but a most fearful thing to refrain from telling. But listen, as you tremble before him on whose account the earth trembled!He who hung the earth in place is hanged. He who Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-48665944772303807822013-03-31T12:25:00.002-06:002013-03-31T12:26:23.527-06:00Easter Sermon
"...For among them, Christ IS risen indeed.
In this story, and in the lives of the disciples...
...we hear that Easter is NOT just about a dead man opening his eyes.
...we hear that Easter is NOT just about our sins being forgiven.
...we hear that Easter is NOT just about the miracle of victory in the midst of defeat.
We hear that Easter is about God's undying commitment to LIFE.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-71872069322665422192013-01-06T15:57:00.003-07:002013-01-06T15:57:53.694-07:00Sermon: Epiphany C
But I always wonder what happened when the wise men finally arrived home.
What did they say about what and whom they found? How did this encounter
change them? Or did it? Was this just one more spiritual quest? One more
notch on the belt, one more experience they could say they had? One
more spiritual tradition they could add to their collection?When
they arrived home did they stop Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-58559343899680639122012-12-30T12:44:00.000-07:002012-12-30T12:44:12.489-07:00Sermon: Christmas 1C...what if you were Mary or Joseph? What would you have done when you
finally caught up with Jesus and found him lecturing the finest
religious minds of your generation about the intricacies of the
Almighty? While I’m sure that Mary and Joseph were used to
strange things happening since this boy came into their lives. I also
think they wondered what their jobs as parents were. How do they
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-5995797139162395632012-11-02T10:32:00.001-06:002012-11-02T10:32:07.905-06:00Reformation (again)
(NB: First line was stolen from a sermon by David Schnasa Jacobsen.
Also, this was preached at a special Reformation Service of the Parkland
County Area Lutheran Churches)So, who was it? Who was it that told you that you weren’t good enough? Those voices ring in everyone’s ears. No one is immune to them.It begins early.Maybe it was your brother who said that girls couldn’t play hockey.Maybe Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-23379527674250435362012-10-31T14:42:00.000-06:002012-11-02T10:39:08.101-06:00Sermon: Reformation Sunday
(NB: You can listen to the sermon by clicking here)
If someone asked you what a Lutheran was, how would you respond?
I
ask that question to most of the congregations for whom I’ve been a
pastor, they looked as blankly then as you do this morning.
For
most of us, that’s a tough question to answer. Lutheranism has such a
rich and diverse tradition. But it’s also very specific. How do you Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-56872503671054517382012-09-30T16:45:00.001-06:002012-09-30T16:45:52.973-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 18B
(NB: You listen to the sermon by clicking here)
It’s
the kind of headline that boils your blood. Perhaps you saw it.
“Parents Get Probation for the Negligent Homicide Death of the Their
Son.”According to the Huffington Post.“An Oregon couple
whose teenaged son died from a burst appendix because they don't believe
in modern medicine accepted a plea deal to avoid jail.“Last
December, Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-52407662214019646532012-09-28T23:50:00.001-06:002012-09-29T00:07:39.971-06:00Is Your Body a Temple of the Holy Spirit?
(NB: preached at evening worship at the Northern Conference Convention, Alberta Synod, ELCIC)
“All
things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial. All things
are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. “Food is
meant for the stomach and the stomach for food,” and God will destroy
both one and the other. The body is meant not for fornication but Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-67562365502272333242012-09-23T13:07:00.001-06:002012-09-23T13:07:18.100-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 17B
Right Click here to download the mp3 audio.
“Don’t worry about the young people, pastor,” he told me, “After they have kids they’ll return to church to have their children baptized. They always do. It’s the cycle of life.”That’s the common wisdom. And I hear that a lot.While that may be true this morning as we welcome Chase into our family of faith through the sacrament of holy baptism, it is Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-60503208618766741932012-09-16T12:15:00.003-06:002012-09-16T12:18:09.789-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 16B
“Who
do you say that I am?” Jesus asks his disciples. And Peter, the one
who can never keep his mouth shut, speaks without realizing what he’s
saying.
“You
are the Messiah,” Peter bursts without thinking, wondering why
Jesus would ask a pretty basic question.
But
I think Jesus was trying to take their temperature. He probably heard
the gossip about who people thought he was, and he Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-88139010823548202662012-08-12T14:58:00.000-06:002012-08-12T14:58:00.768-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 11B
Jesus said that he was the bread of life; that whoever eats of his flesh and drinks of his blood will abide in them and they in him. I sure hope that’s true. Because even when we receive God’s mercy and grace through the sacrament of Holy Baptism, we still find ourselves on a path we probably don’t intend. And you probably have seen the same thing. You might have seen a son or daughter get Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0