God strengthens us in prayer for mission – Matt 7:24-29

For my last time preaching at the Old College Holy Hour (exams start next week), we finished off the Sermon on the Mount.  Note: I'm not sure what will happen to this blog over the summer (I do have a few homilies from preaching class that I've been holding back to post periodically, but not enough for one per week).  On September 8th, I'll be ordained deacon and then the blog will flower back into life!

[Jesus continued], “Whoever listens to these words of mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on rock.

“The rain came down, the rivers went up and the winds blew and buffeted this house, but it did not fall, for it was founded on rock.

“Whoever hears my words but does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

“The rain came down, the rivers went up and the winds blew and dashed this house and it fell and its collapse was great.”

When Jesus had finished these words, the crowd was astonished at his teaching.  For he taught them as one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

We have a house to build.  We have papers to write and exams to study for; we have summer travel or ministry to dive into; we have friendships to nurture; we have the hungry to feed, sick and imprisoned to visit, unknowing to educate, dead to bury and mourners to comfort; we have issues to resolve in our own lives, faith the strengthen, wounds to heal, insecurities to overcome; we have a world awaiting our witness; and we have rooms to pack up, farewells to say, miles to drive.  We have a house to build.

God gives us our daily bread – Matt 6:25-34

Continuing my series on the Sermon on the Mount for Old College

Do not worry for your life, about what you are to eat, or for your body, about what you are to wear.

Is your life not more than food and your body more than clothing?

Look to the birds of the sky, who neither sow nor reap nor gather things in storehouses, and your heavenly Father feeds them.  Do you not matter more than them?

Can any of you add an hour to your life by worrying?

And why do you worry about clothing?

            Consider the flowers of the field, how they grow.  They neither toil nor spin.

I say to you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of them.

If God clothes the grass of the field which is here one day and the next is cast into the oven, will he not do even better for you, you people of little faith?

Do not worry, saying, “what are we to eat?” or “what are we to drink?’ or “what are we to wear?”

For the Gentiles chase after all these things, but your heavenly Father knows what you need from all these things.

Seek first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things will be added to you.

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Sufficient for one day is its own trouble.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”  That’s what we pray; but often it’s not what we want.  More honest might be: “give us this day a month’s worth of bread, and while you’re at it, an independently verified plan for where the next month’s is coming from would be nice too.”

God grants us tastes of heaven on earth – Matt 6:5-13

After quite a hiatus, continuing my series on the Sermon on the Mount for Old College.

When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray in synagogues or on street corners so that they might be seen by others.

Truly I say to you, they have already received their reward in full.

But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut the door and pray to your Father in secret.

And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

When you pray, do not babble like the Gentiles, for they think that they will be heard by their wordiness.

Do not be like them.

For your Father knows what you need before you ask for it.

You shall pray in this way:

Our Father in heaven,

May your name be honored,

May your kingdom come,

May what you will, come to pass,

As it does in heaven, so also on earth.

Give to us today our daily bread,

And forgive for us our debts,

As we also forgive those in our debt.

And do not lead us into trial,

But save us from the Evil one.

Our Father is in heaven, and we’re on earth.