Proper 8 (C) sermons
Letting Go, Proper 8 (C) – 2025
[RCL] 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14; Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20; Galatians 5:1,13-25; Luke 9:51-62 Elijah told Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” Paul wrote, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity,…
The Way, Proper 8 (C) – 2022
[RCL] 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14; Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20; Galatians 5:1,13-25; Luke 9:51-62 Every journey is a quest. At least, that’s what people who think about stories tell us. It doesn’t matter if you are King Arthur in search of the Holy Grail, Don Quixote in search of his lady Dulcinea del Toboso, or Dorothy just…
Freedom, Proper 8 (C) – 2019
[RCL]: 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14; Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20; Galatians 5:1,13-25; Luke 9:51-62 It may surprise us that the word “freedom” is not once found in our Declaration of Independence, the document that launched a new nation on July 4, 1776. Instead of “freedom,” the Declaration highlighted “liberty,” along with “life” and the “pursuit of happiness,”…
Enigmatic Jesus, Proper 8 (C) – 2016
That Jesus: he can be quite enigmatic. His disciples ask if they should command fire to come down from heaven and consume unbelievers, and he sternly tells them, “No.” A village does not welcome him, and he simply moves on to another village. A convert says she will follow him, “wherever you may go,” and…
Getting Past the Distractions, Proper 8 (C) – 2013
Elijah and Elisha. What an epic story. It’s pure Hollywood! Mix together “Lord of the Rings,” Harry Potter and Indiana Jones, and this would give just some of the ingredients. There are wicked kings and queens (they featured a couple of weeks ago), wild-bearded ascetic revolutionaries (that’s Elijah), wide-eyed acolyte disciples eager to drink from…
Listen to the Way…, Proper 8 (C) – 2010
Listen to the way Eugene Peterson translates Psalm 77 in The Message: I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might, I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens.I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord;my life was an open wound that wouldn’t heal.When friends said, ‘Everything…
Today’s Gospel Reading Doesn’t…, Proper 8 (C) – 2007
Today’s gospel reading doesn’t make Jesus look like a very good recruiter. He’s turning away willing volunteers! What’s more, at first he seems to be discounting the value of home and family, the very things we hold most dear. “The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Does following Jesus really mean becoming…
No One Who Puts His Hand…, Proper 8 (C) – 2004
No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God. What kind of harsh statement is this? And exclusive, too. How about unrealistic? Undoable? Ridiculous? OK, maybe now we are getting carried away. But when you read this, do you have a nagging question in the…
To Be Fit for the Kingdom, Proper 8 (C) – 2001
No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. Are there many people today who understand “what putting a hand to the plow” means? Does someone operating a machine instead of a hand-held plow understand the meaning of these words? Perhaps. The key seems to…
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Kristen LeMay
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