People with narrow minds usually have broad tongues.
‹anonymous›
Atlantis: the domain of the Stingray
29Mar
2020
Sun
06:00
author: Stingray
category: Sermons
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Judica (Matins)

John 8:42-59

With Covid-19 guidelines in place, our church services have been recorded and posted on Youtube. The order being used is Matins. Links for resources can be found in the video descriptions if you want to follow along for the entire service. I may yet post manuscripts of the sermons, but I haven't decided yet if I'll do so; it'll likely be a while before I get to that.

22Mar
2020
Sun
08:00
author: Stingray
category: Sermons
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Laetare (Matins)

John 6:1-15

With the onset of Covid-19, our church worship format has been taken to Youtube. Rather than post the manuscripts to my sermons, I'm sharing the videos from my church's Youtube channel until we can gather regularly again. I may post the manuscripts at a later date; I haven't decided yet. The video can be found below the "break."

18Mar
2020
Wed
23:21
author: Stingray
category: Sermons
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Mid-week Lent III

Luke 22:31-62

Wednesday of Oculi 2020 Wordle
In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel had spoken against the shepherds of Israel and Judah. These men—prophets, priests, and kings—whom God had set up to lead His people, care for them, feed them with His Word were not seeing to the tasks to which He had sent them. So He declared woe upon them.

Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. (Ezekiel 34:2b-4)
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:1-2)

Because they had done this, God declared that He will be their shepherd. (cf. Ezekiel 34:23; Micah 5:2) In a stable outside the little town of Bethlehem, that Shepherd was born. Conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary, Jesus is God-with-us, the Shepherd promised of old. He is the one who fulfilled the promise made through the prophet Ezekiel:

“For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.” (Ezekiel 34:11-16)
15Mar
2020
Sun
16:13
author: Stingray
category: Sermons
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Oculi

Luke 11:14-28

Oculi 2020 Wordle
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The advancements in modern technology and western medicine are terrific gifts from God. What man is able to accomplish and know thanks to the available technology today cannot compare with what man had done and known in the past, though it is hubris to think that things would be where they are now without the work and knowledge of the past. And with regard to modern western medicine, the drugs and treatments for various ailments have turned what once were thought to be death sentences into conditions that can be cured and recovered from in a matter of days in some cases, and certainly treatable and livable in many others. In fact, I would not be surprised to hear of a treatment in the coming months that would alleviate the symptoms of and improve the mortality rate for this new Covid-19 disease—and, in fact, I have heard that work is underway attempting to accomplish just that!

However, these advancements have also increased the doubt and skepticism of those who spend their entire lives living with these luxuries. In fact, it has turned any talk of demons and demon-possession into myth and fantasy. That which was at one time thought to be the work of demons is now, by-and-large, seen as a disease or syndrome that can be cured or treated with a pill or injection. Now, I can grant that a great many conditions so treatable or curable were at one time confused for demon-possession, but I’m also not so naïve as to discount the work of demons masquerading as a medical condition or that demon-possession can also be confused for some sort of medical condition.

4Mar
2020
Wed
23:33
author: Stingray
category: Sermons
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Mid-week Lent I

Luke 22:1-6

Mid-week Lent I 2020 Wordle
In the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Betray” is the word of the evening.

Three times in St. Luke’s Gospel Jesus predicted his Passion. Twice in the 9th chapter and once in the 18th chapter, Jesus told His disciples that He was going to suffer, die, and rise again. The second prediction doesn’t go into as much detail, but that second time, Luke 9:43-45, Jesus used the “betray.”

But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

“[T]o be delivered into the hands of men…”—betrayed.

Tonight, you heard that betrayal starting to take shape.

Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.