Tap Into the Mystical
Posted on in Sermons by The Rev. David Marshall
Mark 9: 2-9
Brother John Ryan offers another beautiful, prayerful sermon on the Transfiguration of Jesus, calling the Transfiguration the connection between God and humanity. We are mystical beings having a physical experience, John says. You can access and experience the mystical because you are a mystical being. So, when Jesus is transfigured, and his clothes begin to glow a dazzling white, and the great prophets, Elijah and Moses, appear talking to him, Peter James and John are witnessing a mystical event. And what this event reveals, to them and to us, is that the Spirit of God is available and present. John goes on to talk about how we access, or tap into, this mystical experience through our faith in Jesus…
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The Heart of Jesus
Posted on in Sermons by The Rev. David Marshall
The Gospel of Mark is a precious jewel: small, complex, beautiful, and when examined closely, surprising in its complexity. In this week’s short passage we hear the story of Jesus healing a leper and then telling him not to reveal who healed him. These six verses seem to hide more than they reveal. Why would Jesus tell the man to go to the Priests when he was already healed/clean? Why would Jesus tell the man not to reveal that Jesus healed him? And yet, for all the mystery of this passage, the words also reveal some beautiful facets of Jesus’ heart…
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Two Kinds of People
Posted on in Sermons by The Rev. David Marshall
In this opening chapter of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus announces that, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’ and then he begins to demonstrate that the kingdom of God has come. Jesus brings the reality of God’s Kingdom, and people have a one of two responses. So, in a sense, you could say that there are two types of people. There are those who are called by Jesus to be disciples and there are those who come to Jesus for healing. There are those who need help, and there are those who need to help.
This sermon looks at how we respond to God today. Today, at this moment, do you need healing or do you need to serve? Do you need encouragement, or do you have encouragement to offer…
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Modern Day Exorcism
Posted on in Sermons by The Rev. David Marshall
If I were to ask you, “What was Jesus’ first miracle in the Gospel according to Mark?” what would you think of? Healing a Leper? Feeding the hungry? Calming the storm or even walking on water?
These are the sorts of things we think of when we think of Jesus’ miracles, but in Mark, the first thing he does is an exorcism!
Most of us have a tough time with the whole idea of exorcisms. We don’t believe in demons that possess people and make them do things. We certainly don’t believe in the pointy tailed demons we see in medieval religious art. Our world view has changed in the past couple of thousand years. We know that fits and seizures are caused by epilepsy and other diseases. We are rational, science minded people, …for the most part…
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Enkindle in Us the Fire of Your Love
Posted on in Sermons by The Rev. David Marshall
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people, and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. With these words Brother John begins his sermon in which he examine the opening proclamation of Jesus’ ministry from the Gospel of Mark: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” Brother John tackles the most difficult part of Jesus’ proclamation and command. “Repent, and believe in the good news.” In his wise way, he offers the following proverb, “We are not punished for our sins but by our sins.” John goes on to talk about the ways we separate ourselves from God and from one another with wisdom, wit, and compassion…
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A Post-it Note from God
Posted on in Sermons by The Rev. David Marshall
“Samuel, Samuel.” God called young Samuel in the dark hours of the night. God calls to all of us, but the call is not usually as dramatic and clear as young Samuel’s experience. Unfortunately, we often miss God’s call. We don’t hear, or we hear and don’t understand, or we hear and don’t recognize God’s presence in the call.
I remember talking to a friend at church once about prayer and answers to prayer. He told me that he wished God would just write him a clear message on a post-it note and leave it on the bathroom mirror…
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Fulfillment, Purpose, Peace, Joy
Posted on in Sermons by The Rev. David Marshall
Today we celebrate the Epiphany. You all know the story. Three wise men from the East looked at the stars and determined that a new king had been born. They packed up gifts and provisions and traveled to Jerusalem to find this new king and to offer him gifts. This is a story of wonder and of searching, and the story makes me wonder too.
Why do you suppose they were studying the stars anyway? Why do you suppose, having agreed that a new king had been born to the Jews, that they traveled all the way to Jerusalem seeking this Jewish king?
This story is full of questions. You could even argue that this story is about questions, or at least about curiosity and wonder…
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The Start of a Beautiful Relationship
Posted on in Sermons by The Rev. David Marshall
On a cold night, in a humble stable, two thousand years ago, God became human. God humbled God’s self, limited God’s self, and poured God’s spirit into a human infant. That is the remarkable event that we celebrate tonight. On this night, with our beautiful music and sincere prayers, we are not claiming that a man became God. Rather, we are celebrating with awe and wonder that God was willing to become human.
The amazing, radical, wonderful event that we celebrate tonight is that God became human by being born to a young woman, in a stable, a room meant for livestock instead of people. Jesus Christ was born in that humble shelter so that you and I might know God…
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Deacon Jerry’s Final Sermon at St. Dunstan’s
Posted on in Sermons by The Rev. David Marshall
Sunday Deacon Jerry gave us his final sermon as the deacon assigned to St. Dunstan’s Church. Christmas Day will be Jerry’s last Sunday with us before he moves on to his next assignment. This sermon is Jerry’s reflections on the Annunciation, his visit to the Holy Land, and his faith in God…
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Pregnant with God
Posted on in Sermons by The Rev. David Marshall
This sermon is a beautiful meditation on the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as the Theotokos, or God Bearer. Brother John uses the image of Mary, pregnant with the Messiah to describe our own call to carry God to the world. Every parent (or child, really) knows that we ultimately have to give our children to the world. Our role is to nurture and prepare them to be a gift and contribution to the world. John beautifully describes our mission, given by Christ, to carry God to the world in a very similar way.
