Duty for an Unworthy Servant, Luke 17.5-10

“When you have done all that you were commanded, say ‘We are unworthy servants, we have only done what was our duty,’” says Jesus to his Apostles. What does this mean for them, those who would carry the Gospel to the known world and what does that mean for us today. Listen as Father Jeremiah explores the need for grace as we do all that Jesus calls us to in the kingdom work he gives to us.

Image: Der Landmann, by Eugène Burnand [Public Domain]. Image Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eugene_Burnand_-_Der_Landmann.jpg

Stewardship, Discipleship, and Vocation, Luke 16.19-31

After telling the parable of the Shrewd Steward, Jesus then tells a story about a rich man and Lazarus. With this story Jesus brings together the ideas of stewardship in regard to both relationships and possessions. We soon discover that stewardship, discipleship, and vocation are really interlocked into one another and expressions of one another in various ways.

Image: Meister des Codex Aureus Epternacensis [Public domain] Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Meister_des_Codex_Aureus_Epternacensis_001.jpg

Our True Steward, Luke 16.1-13

Jesus tells his disciples a parable about a crooked and unjust steward and the master in the story commends him for being shrewd. What does this mean exactly? What underlies the shrewd act on the part of the steward? How does this all relate to Jesus? These questions are considered as Father Jeremiah takes us through this parable and reveals to us the True Steward that we need.

Image by: Phillip Medhurst [FAL], An etching by Jan Luyken illustrating Luke 16:1-9 in the Bowyer Bible, Bolton, England. Located at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Teachings_of_Jesus_31_of_40._parable_of_the_unjust_steward._Jan_Luyken_etching._Bowyer_Bible.gif

Seeking the Lost, Luke 15.1-10

Father Jeremiah looks at Jesus’ parable of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin and connects them to the other readings of Scripture for today found in Exodus 32.1, 7-14 and 1 Timothy 1.12-17. All of these passages deal with Jesus’ pursuit of his people despite their desire to get lost in the wilderness of sin. He continually goes after us and brings us back to himself.

image: From Stories of Old or Bible Narratives… by Hadley, Caroline. [from old catalog] [No restrictions]. Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stories_of_old_or_Bible_narratives_(1863)_(14579310939).jpg

Discipleship: Loving, Acting, Thinking, Luke 14.25-33

Discipleship is all over the Bible. Too often though we think of it as gaining more and more knowledge without considering other changes that should happen in our lives and our very being because of the discipleship. Father Jeremiah considers this and the order that discipleship takes in the changes that it makes.

Image: Photo by MarcFrasere1958 [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)] Found at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Luke%27s_-_The_Bombed_Out_Church_-_Liverpool.JPG

Pride and Humility, Luke 14.1, 7-14

Jesus speaks a parable about people vying for places of honor instead of considering others of higher standing than themselves. The source of this behavior is pride and the answer to it is humility. How does one, though, accomplish, humility? Can it be done in your own strength or must Another accomplish it for you that you might live in humbleness?

Image: Image from page 506 of A Dictionary of the Bible…(1887) No known copyright restrictions.

Surviving, Striving, and Thriving, Luke 13.22-30

Jesus says, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow gate,’ in the Gospel passage. What are we to make of this command to us today? It is a reminder that we must continually come back to confession and repentance through which we can thrive in the Kingdom and be a part of banquet to come. Here more about this from Father Jeremiah in today’s sermon.

Image: The Narrow Path, by rabiem22. Used under license CC BY 2.0. No changes made. Location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rabiem/8047897266/in/photostream/

The Kingdom that Makes Ready, Luke 12.32-40

Father Jeremiah walks us through Jesus’ words, “Fear not, little flock…” How can we begin to be free from anxiety and fear when there are so many cares in this world? Listen now to find out more!

Image Various birds in the air and on the ground with a large bird of prey in the centre. Engraving by H. Le Roy. Credit: Wellcome Collection. CC BYFound at https://wellcomecollection.org/works/se64jf77. License:

Diversion and Distraction, Luke 12.13-21

How do our material possessions and the many other goods that we have contribute to distraction and diversion from the importance of the Gospel and Jesus himself? In this sermon, Father Jeremiah considers these things through the Parable of the Rich Fool found in Luke 12.13-21.

Image: Photo taken by Joseph Harrison of The Young Apprentice by Amedeo Modigliani. Location: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/art-classic-artwork-modigliani-1531881/

The Shamelessness of God, Luke 11.1-13

When you think of prayer, where are your thoughts drawn? Are they drawn to how you should pray? Do you think about the way in which you pray? Or do you consider the character of the one to whom you pray? Father Jeremiah reminds of the importance of basing our prayers not on how we pray, but on the one we pray to. Remembering the kind of God we pray to undergirds our prayers continually.

Photo: Grace, by Eric Enstrom [Public domain], taken in 1918. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eric_Enstrom_-_Grace_-_bw.jpg

The Vocational Life: Work and Rest, Luke 10.38-42

Father Jeremiah completes his series on the vocational life with this teaching on Mary and Martha. What is the one thing necessary that Mary had found and that Martha needed? How do work and rest come together in vocation? How do we both rest and toil at the same time? Listen to Father Jeremiah’s conclusion now.

Image: A an etching by Jan Luyken from the Phillip Medhurst Collection of Bible illustrations housed at Belgrave Hall, Leicester, England, photo taken by Phillip Medhurst [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]. Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jan_Luyken%27s_Jesus_15._Martha_and_Mary._Phillip_Medhurst_Collection.jpg

The Vocational Life: The Task Impossible, Luke 10.25-37

The story of the Good Samaritan is an iconic story. You can find references to it in nearly every facet of our culture. However, what was so revolutionary about Jesus’ words that made this such a message that would go beyond time itself? It is because of the impossibility of the task that Jesus sets forth to his questioner. It is an impossibility that continues to exist for us today. What can we do with this impossible task in our daily vocations?

Image: The Good Samaritan, Rembrandt [CC0]. Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Good_Samaritan_MET_DP814420.jpg

The Vocational Life: Empowered to Serve, Luke 10.1-20

Father Jeremiah continues to lead us through his series on the vocational life. In this third sermon, he shows us how we are empowered to serve by the Holy Spirit in all of our vocations because Jesus has called to be in those vocations.

Image: Image from page 72 of "The works of John M. Synge .." (1912), posted by Internet Archive Book Images, no known copyright restrictions. Location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14595127770/in/photostream/

The Vocational Life: The Cost of Grace, Luke 9.51-62

When we think of vocation, we often don’t think about the cost of living in these varied relationships. However, Jesus reminds us that to follow him comes with a cost and brings transformation to all of our relationships and work.

Image: by Henri Cassiers [Public domain]. Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rodenbach_%E2%80%93_La_Vocation,_1895_Illustr._p_087.png

The Vocational Life: Cross-Bearing, Luke 9:18-24

When we are called to take up our crosses daily, Christ is calling us to a cross shaped life, one that is focused on the cross upon every one of our vocations. All of our vocations, that is our relationships and the work we do in those, are all under the cross and given grace by Jesus through the Holy Spirit. We are called into the Vocational life through our cross-bearing.

Image: Christ Carrying the Cross, Albrecht Dürer, 1509 [Public domain]. Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albrecht_D%C3%BCrer_-_Christ_Carrying_the_Cross_(NGA_1943.3.3653).jpg

The Overflow of the Trinity, John 16.5-15

It is Trinity Sunday and Father Jeremiah leads us through a teaching on the Trinity and the work of God as three persons. He uses the Apostles’ Creed as our guide and opens our eyes to the amazing work of overflowing love that comes from the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Image: The Holy Trinity by Miguel Cabrera, in the Tucson Museum of Art. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Holy_Trinity_by_Miguel_Cabrera.jpg
[Public domain]

Greater Works, John 14.8-17

Guest preacher Jonathan McClure takes us through John 14.8-17. He shows us that our own impatience can blind us to Jesus being amongst us as he truly is. When we miss who we have and what we have in Jesus, we must look to what the Father has promised us in Jesus to bring our eyes back to Jesus. In doing that, we will see how Jesus displays the Father to us, realize that Jesus is working through us, and that Jesus provides the helper we need.

Image: Stain glass from Queen’s College, Oxford, by Abraham van Linge, c. 1635. Photo taken by Lawrence OP. Used under license CC BY-NC 2.0. Location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/2482601503.

Prayer and Ascension, John 17:20-26

On the night before Jesus’ crucifixion, he prayed for all that would believe in him through the word of his apostles. In that prayer he asked that we might all be one as he and the Father are one and that we would know the love of the Father for the Son in ourselves. In Jesus’ ascension forty days after his resurrection, this prayer began to be fulfilled. How does Jesus’ ascension connect to his high priestly prayer? Listen now to find out.

Image: Agony in the Garden, by El Greco [Public domain]. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:El_Greco_019.jpg

Do Not Be Afraid, John 14.21-29

Jesus can tell his disciples and us to not be afraid and to not let our hearts be troubled because of the great hope that he sets before us. What is that hope? Our hope is the coming of the Holy Spirit and the coming of the new Jerusalem. Both of these are a reality for us today. Listen now to find out how this is.

Image: Merciful Christ (Icon), photo taken by: Steven Zucker. License: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. No changes made. Location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/profzucker/7173082023

A Love that Compels, John 13.31-35

On the night that He was betrayed, Jesus told his disciples to love one another just as He had loved them. How is this even possible? Can a mere man give such a command to weak people? Listen to find out just how Jesus’ can tell his disciples to love one another and it actually be accomplished.

Image: Merciful Christ (Icon), photo taken by: Steven Zucker. License: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. No changes made. Location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/profzucker/7173082023