"My Psychologist says he's Post-Church" a sermon based on Mark 13:32-37 by Joe Ellis on Nov. 29
This sermon is going to be somewhat of a thought experiment. What I would like to do is ask what would happen if Jesus was addressing us with a similar Word of prophecy which He spoke to His disciples. Like the other passages that we’ve been hearing over the past several weeks, in this passage, Jesus is addressing His disciples with a very specific prophetic word. What would it be like if Jesus used the pandemic to address us with a very similar prophetic Word. So, what I’d l
Sheep Nation, Goat Nation: based on Matt. 25:31-46, by Joe Ellis, Nov. 22, 2020
This is an important passage for me as its worked right into my job description. The job description says that I am to encourage the congregation to care for the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, the naked, the sick, and those in prison. No mystery where that list came from. I’ve wondered at the part on leading the congregation in caring for the naked. I’ve imagined myself standing in front of the congregation saying, “As you all know, we have a lot of naked people in Telkw
Parable of the Servants, based on Matt. 25:14-30, by Joe Ellis, Nov. 15, 2020
Let me begin with a question that might not seem particularly important but actually has a huge impact on how we understand this parable: Who is Jesus talking to? When I’ve heard this parable, I’ve often assume he is talking to me and other Christians — I’m not wanting to be egocentric — I’d be OK with saying that Jesus is talking to me and other Christians throughout history and across the world. But the challenge is that Jesus isn’t talking to me and other Christians throug
The Wise and the Stupid: based on Matthew 25:1-13, prepared by Joe Ellis, Nov. 8, 2020
The parable of the ten girls is quite illusive — its difficult to pin down precisely what Jesus is saying. If you are looking for exegetical precision and certainty, this is a tough row to hoe. For me, there are a lot of questions that swirl around this parable. Is the arrival of the bridegroom something that’ll happen at the end of time — like when Jesus finally returns, as we see in the wedding feast at the end of the book of Revelation? Or is this parable about something t
Blessings for the Kingdom, based on Matthew 5:1-12 by Joe Ellis, Nov. 1, 2020
There are certain sections of Scripture that you know are important
because they get their own title — like the 'Upper Room Discourse’. And you know a Scripture passage is really important if its title is in Latin. I know of only two sections of Scripture that get Latin titles, Mary’s song at the beginning of Luke is called the Magnificat, and the passage we just read is called the Beatitudes — that’s latin for blessing. The Beatitudes, having a latin title and all, must be p
