I write of melancholy, by being busy to avoid melancholy.
‹Robert Burton›
Atlantis: the domain of the Stingray
27Jun
2010
Sun
21:29
author: Stingray
category: Sermons
read/add comments: 0
trackbacks: 0

Presentation of the Augsburg Confession (observed)

John 15:1-11

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

It was with the words of the antiphon to our Psalm this morning that the Augsburg Confession was presented to Emperor Charles the V on June 25, 1530: "I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed." (Psalm 119:46)

There was a time when to the world the meaning of the Gospel had been lost. To the church, God was preached as a vengeful and merciless God, always watching for a way to condemn man, and exacting justice (seen and heard almost always as punishment) for each and every sin committed. For centuries, the world had seen cultural and economic decline. The differences in the haves and the have-nots was staggering. Only a few men were educated and knew how to read, and very few of those ever read the Bible. What the church said of God was not true, and almost no one knew any better to say anything otherwise—those that did were executed as heretics.

21Jun
2010
Mon
11:15
author: Stingray
category: My Ramblings
read/add comments: 1
trackbacks: 0

First Time

Going to the Theater

We're taking the kids to the theater this morning for their first silver screen experience. We'll be watching none other than Toy Story 3. We hope they enjoy it all; we're sure they'll enjoy the movie, as they have adored the previous Toy Story movies.

20Jun
2010
Sun
16:31
author: Stingray
category: Sermons
read/add comments: 0
trackbacks: 0

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Luke 8:26-39

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What a strange little event we just heard about. It's so unlike anything else we read and hear about from the Scripture. It is terrifying, not comforting or giving hope (at least, on the outset). It was also weird and terrifying to the people on Genneseret's shore—the Gerasenes.

13Jun
2010
Sun
20:22
author: Stingray
category: Sermons
read/add comments: 0
trackbacks: 0

Third Sunday after Pentecost

Luke 7:36--8:3

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.

Jesus then asks Simon the Pharisee a question: "Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" Simon responded: "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."

6Jun
2010
Sun
20:02
author: Stingray
category: Sermons
read/add comments: 1
trackbacks: 0

Second Sunday after Pentecost

Luke 7:11-17

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O Lord, how shall I meet Thee / How welcome Thee aright? / Thy people long to greet Thee, / My Hope, my heart's Delight! / O kindle, Lord, most holy, / Thy lamp within my breast / To do in spirit lowly / All that may please Thee best.