Saint Matthew's

“Walmart-ization of the Christian Heart”
Texts: Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 19:29-40

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Grace and peace be to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

“I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:40)

Those words of Jesus that end our Gospel, in response to a cry by the Pharisees that His disciples were boldly proclaiming Christ as King, are very telling, especially in this age when proclamation of Jesus Christ as Savior and King are being watered down. For in this day, Christianity is being looked down upon by society, just one of a multitude of religions that deserve not only recognition, but are to be placed on par with Christ. Regularly, the mainstream media lambasts, ridicules, rejects, shoves aside, or mocks Christians and their beliefs — all in the name of religious diversity or societal acceptance.

This anti-Christian cultural battle is seen also within the society itself. Christmas music is not Christmas music any more; we call it “Holiday music.” And Christians, as a whole, have let it slide

Department stores for decades have held Christmas sales in a cynical attempt to get you Christians in the door to buy the stuff a materialistic Christmas is built upon. Nowadays, marketers have led these same department stores to forego the “Christmas” name and replace it with the generic “holiday sales” title. And Christians, as a whole, have let it slide.

Christmas parties are now “holiday parties” or even “end of the year soirees.” Some public schools are on the bandwagon, changing the names of their ‘days off’ for religious holidays. Gone are Christmas and Easter breaks; in return, they’re now early winter and spring breaks. And Christians, as a whole, have let it slide.

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“Thanking Always”
Homily Texts: Deuteronomy 8:1-10; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; Luke 17:11-19

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Grace and peace be to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

I was speaking to a number of fellow clergy people over the past week or so, and in nearly every occasion, the topic of the National Day of Thanksgiving came up. Apparently, a number of my brothers in the ministry think that holding a Thanksgiving service tonight is, well, wrong.

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No Time to Be Content”
Texts: Mark 13:24-37; Jude 20-25; Isaiah 51:4-6

Weekend of November 21-22, 2009 — the Last Sunday in the Church Year

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Grace and peace be to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

There comes a time in everyone’s life when God becomes important. Let me say that again – at some point in all of our lives, God is going to be overwhelmingly important to each of us. This importance can come at a point of sheer darkness: the death of a loved one; the onset of a terrible disease; the sadness at some tragic worldly event. On the other hand, God’s importance in your life will come at a time of real happiness: the time of a marriage; the birth of your child; the celebration of a family event.

In these polar opposite times of darkness and happiness, that God will become the most important aspect of whether you’re feeling good or bad. For instance, when the clouds overtake your life and rain seemingly pours on down, what is our reaction? We can do one of two things: We can plead to God for mercy and grace, or, out of sheer unadulterated anger, cry out to Him and ask that age old question, “Why?” Otherwise, when events in our life are shiny and happy, we can very easily think about God in a nicer, loving way, thanking Him for showering us with goodness and grace, something that we truly do not deserve.

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Old Testament Reading

Isaiah 51:4–6

(God’s salvation will never wear out.)

⁴ “Give attention to me, my people,

and give ear to me, my nation;

for a law will go out from me,

and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.

⁵ My righteousness draws near,

my salvation has gone out,

and my arms will judge the peoples;

the coastlands hope for me,

and for my arm they wait.

⁶ Lift up your eyes to the heavens,

and look at the earth beneath;

for the heavens vanish like smoke,

the earth will wear out like a garment,

and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;

but my salvation will be forever,

and my righteousness will never be dismayed.

Epistle Reading

Jude 20–25

(Defense and victory over evil.)

²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. ²² And have mercy on those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

²⁴ Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, ²⁵ to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Holy Gospel

Mark 13:24–37

(Awaiting the Lord’s return in calm and patient hope.)

²⁴ “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, ²⁵ and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶ And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

⁸ “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁰ Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

³² “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³ Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴ It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. ³⁵ Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— ³⁶ lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. ³⁷ And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

The Old Testament Reading

Daniel 12:1–3

(The resurrection of all prophesied.)

^2:1 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. ² And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. ³ And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

The Epistle Reading

Hebrews 10:11–25

(The single offering for all time.)

¹¹ And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹² But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. ¹⁴ For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

¹⁵ And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

¹⁶ “This is the covenant that I will make with them

after those days, declares the Lord:

I will put my laws on their hearts,

and write them on their minds,”

¹⁷ then he adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

¹⁸ Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

The Holy Gospel

Mark 13:1–13

(All signs of the end fulfilled but one.)

13:1 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” ² And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

³ And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” ⁵ And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. ⁶ Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. ⁷ And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁸ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

⁹ “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. ¹⁰ And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. ¹¹ And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. ¹² And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. ¹³ And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.