In Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy we meet two men in two distinct chapters of their lives.  The Apostle Paul is in the closing pages of his life.  Timothy is in early middle-age.  They are men in two of life’s most challenging seasons.  While this sermon focuses specifically on 2 Timothy 1:5-18, particularly in regards to the place of friends, (appreciation to Viv Thomas for the three categories mentioned here–Soul Friends, Those Who Disappoint, Those Who Refresh), more generally it takes in the whole sweep of the letter in regards to God’s call to each of us to go higher up and deeper in to his will.

This is the sermon delivered by Fr. Mark Lawrence on October 7, 2007 at the 10am service.

God-Friends–All Sorts and Conditions (mp3 file)

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This sermon on Jesus’s provocative parable in Luke 16:1-13, where as David Buttrick observes “Jesus seems to be commending a crook”, is anything but a teaching on morality, at least traditionally understood. Rather it is a challenge to his disciples to be shrewd, swift and decisive for the Kingdom of God.  If the dishonest steward can seize the moment of crisis for his dubious purposes when will the people of God learn to act with passion and daring for the things of God?

This is the sermon delivered by Fr. Mark Lawrence on September 23, 2007 at the 10am service.

Shrewd Managers (mp3 file)

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The Gospel reading this morning Luke 14:25-33 presents us with yet another hard word of Jesus.  It is like a sledge hammer that knocks us to the ground and gets our attention.  It is all to easy today, as for the crowds that accompanied Jesus on the road to Jerusalem to forget that there is a cross in our religion.  Unlike many things in our world, including sin, Our Lord doesn’t keep from us the hard truth that there is a cost to following him.  He reminds us of this through to short parables–the Tower and the Approaching King.  The in the first Jesus says wait, consider whether you can afford to follow me.  In the second he says, stop, consider if you can afford not to  The price is costly either way.

This is the sermon delivered by Fr. Mark Lawrence on September 9, 2007 at the 10am service.

A Price to Pay Either Way (mp3 file)

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Taking Hebrews 13:2 as an opening text this sermon first contrasts the attitude of our contemporary society towards the stranger with the biblical attitude towards the stranger by briefly exploring several key texts from scripture including Genesis 18:1-18, Luke 24:13-35 and Matthew 25:31-40.  It then focuses on some of the “strangers” in our lives for who may have need of the gift of hospitality.

This is the sermon delivered by Fr. Mark Lawrence on September 2, 2007 at the 10am service.

Entertaining Angels–Hospitality as a Way of Life (mp3 file)

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This text from Luke 13:22-30 has often been listed among the hard words of Jesus. It is a challenging word. Since the door is narrow decisiveness is needed. We don’t enter by accident or the exigencies of life. Vague, half-hearted, occasional seeking will not enter through this door. Yet the door, though narrow, is open; and though the time may be short, there is opportunity now.

This is the sermon delivered by Fr. Mark Lawrence on August 26, 2007 at the 10am service.

The Door is Narrow–The Time is Now (mp3 file)

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In Luke chapter 10, Jesus sends “the seventy” on a mission to the surrounding villages to do his kingdom work.  The “extraordinary” fruit of this mission results from obedience to Christ’s commands–including his packing instructions–to go and share the Gospel in “ordinary” ways.

We are challenged to receive Christ’s gift of kingdom work that God might have his way in the world through our commitment to particular bodies and local places.  By such “ordinary” faithfulness, we participate in God’s mission and anticipate the coming Kingdom.

This is the sermon delivered by Greg Walgenbach, Youth and Children’s Pastor,  on July 8, 2007 at the 10am service.

How God Makes His Own Importance (mp3 file)

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The annual visitation by our bishop is this Sunday, September 16th.   It will also mark a year since I was first elected as the Bishop of South Carolina.  Since then, if not before, this parish has been dealing with change or at least impending change.  I am not unaware that this has taken a heavy toll on the life of this parish.  The protracted process has dragged on in a most unfortunate manner. Still I trust that our Lord, in his infinite wisdom and in the dynamic dimensions of his will, can bring good from it in ways that ultimately further the ministry and mission of this parish.  Was it not the great poet, John Milton, who wrote, “God doth not need/Either man’s work or his own gifts. Who best/Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best…. They also serve who only stand and wait!”  Recently I read a comment by the poet, novelist and essayist, Wendell Berry.  He said he once knew a barber who refused to give a discount to balding men because his artistry was not in cutting off hair but rather in knowing when to stop.  I’ve been trying to keep this in mind. Read the rest of this entry »

Arise, my love, my fair one
and come away;
for lo, the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land. (The Song of Solomon 2:10-12)

It was as if romance was in the air. And for her, young and beautiful as she was–to quote an often-used phrase–it was love at first sight. All at once she gave up everything–wealth, status, the eager courtship of others, and vowed to be his bride. Her friends and relatives tried their best to dissuade her, but she was adamant–”she would be the bride of Christ”–his alone. Her name was Clare–we know her today as St. Clare of Assisi. I said it was for her love at first sight, but it would be more accurate if I said, “Love at first voice.” It was the after all a sermon given by a young man named Francis that inspired the beautiful young 18 year old girl to lay her wealth, her jewelry and luxurious garments at the church’s altar and offer her much noted beauty to Christ. We might describe it well if we put it this way–She heard the words of her divine Savior and lover call, “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” And so she did. Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes when we come to the close of St. Paul’s epistles, especially those in which he refers to specific persons, many of whom we have little if any information about other than the cryptic phrases made in the letter at hand, thus, our attention may well begin to lag. This would be most unfortunate in this Letter to the Colossians. In Colossians 4:2-18 there are a series of explicit messages that St. Paul offers in short order. Equally important, however, is the implicit message in these verses. This is how he is nurtures a church culture that places a high priority for opening our hearts to God in prayer, to one another in service, and to the unchurched/unconverted world for opened doors through which the gospel, the mystery of Christ, may be declared. Evangelism and Mission is clearly in his DNA. As these Christians in Colossae grow in spiritual maturity they too will nurture it in their common life. It will be a sign that we are maturing in Christ when it is clearly seen in ours as well.

This is the sermon delivered by Fr. Mark Lawrence on August 19, 2007 at the 10am service.

Open Hearts–Open Doors (mp3 file)

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