Sermons on 1 Thessalonians
November 5, 2023
10th Anniversary Celebration Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Communion Rev. Dr. Bruce Taylor Rev. Dr. Tom Willadsen Joshua 3: 7-17; Thessalonians 2: 9-13; Matthew 23: 1-12 “THE STARTING POINT” Salvation, as far as the Bible is concerned, is not an abstraction. And in the Old Testament, at least, salvation is never purely spiritual. Salvation, in ancient Jewish understanding, was always salvation from something dangerous, threatening, and specific. And, conversely, salvation was therefore always salvation to something desirable, good, and precise. …
We Belong to the Day
We Belong to the Day 24th Pentecost 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 November 15, 2020 Matt. 25:14-30 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good. From that ancient, ancient text to this very moment, light has been associated with all things good. Running deep within our psyches we sense the epic struggle between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. This imagery has been used in…
Watching with Hope
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Matthew 25:1-13 Every great now and then, someone asks me about what it’s like to be a pastor. My general answer is, “If you are called into ministry, it’s the best job in the world!” If I am asked, “What is the worst part of being a pastor,” I would have to say, “funerals and memorial services.” And, if I am asked, “What is the best part of being a pastor?” I would have to say that one of the best things would be funerals and…
A Life Worthy of God
1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 Matthew 23:1-12 These last few weeks, we have been exploring several events in the life of Jesus in which he was dealing with Scribes and Pharisees—the “religious experts” of Israel. These were men who had tremendous social standing: a cushy life, and a show of respect from the common people. But they felt threatened by the teachings of Jesus—threatened because, if the people responded to Jesus and to his message, their position of power and respect would crumble! I get…
Tender Nursing
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Matthew 22:34-40 Are you a person who “thinks in pictures”? I am one, and I find myself trying to “picture” God. Without much success. How about you? 1. Do you have an image from Monty Python, a bearded guy up in the clouds, speaking with lots of thunder in his voice? 2. Or do you picture God as a shepherd, caring for sheep, searching for lost lambs? 3. Or do you see God more like Isaiah’s vision…
Word and Work
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Matthew 22:15-22 Back in the ‘70’s, I saw a poster that depicted a preacher in a pulpit and in the “word bubble” above his head, it said, “Words, words, words, words, words.” Now, if you remember the ‘70’s, you know that boomers were kind of disenchanted with a lot of things (that’s putting it mildly!), and this poster illustrated our feelings about people who did a lot of talking but didn’t back up their talk with consistent action. They “talked the talk”…