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1. A Ransom Paid
1 Peter 2:4-12
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
A few years back, an evangelist came to a modest-sized congregation for a 4-day weekend revival. On the closing night, the congregation formed a circle around the sanctuary and the evangelist turned to the person on her right and said, at a volume easily heard by all, "God loves you. Pass it on." The message was passed through about one-third of the circle when a lady turned to her neighbor and sa...
2. Accepting The Call
1 Peter 3:8-22
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
Last week, we talked about the call of God to be involved in the ministry of the Word to the world. Peter informed us that we are each called to be priests, offering up spiritual sacrifices. This week, as we continue to listen to Peter, we hear some advice or guidance on how to do that job. He says, "Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope tha...
3. "But Some Doubted"
Matthew 28:16-20
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
It is interesting to note that in Matthew's account of the Ascension, he says, "Now the eleven disciples went up to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted." He gives absolutely no explanation for this either. What did they doubt? Did they doubt that it was Jesus? Did they doubt that he had been dead, or that he was appar...
4. Choosing Sides
Romans 8:1-17
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
Do you remember those old cartoons (especially Tom and Jerry) that showed the characters considering a plan of action, being counseled by a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other? Sometimes the little conscience and the little demon would actually come to blows, vying for Jerry to behave selfishly or kindly, remember? Those cartoons said, in effect, that our lives are a battleground, wit...
5. Come To The Light
Ephesians 4:17--5:21
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
Have you ever had the experience of losing all the electric power in your home? A friend of mine, who has a cabin on a woodland lake, told me that the worst part of the experience was that he kept flipping on switches as he went from room to room. He was so used to being able to summon up illumination this way, his subconscious kept insisting that it ought to work. The result was that he became in...
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
Some people read this passage, and they decide that everything that happens to us is to be seen as a "blessing" from God. They will tell you, quite straightforwardly, that God has every event of your life planned, including anything that seems to be bad at the time. If that gives them faith that everything will come out right in the end, it could be a blessing. But too often, what happens is that ...
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
The boss had called the receptionist into his office for one of those chats we all dread. He was displeased with her demeanor in the office. For the most part, she was efficient, did her work on time, and seldom put through a call incorrectly. But her attitude needed an adjustment, he said. He didn't like the way he heard her talking to some of their clients. "Well," she replied, "I really don't h...
8. Signed, Sealed And Delivered
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
On this night, more than on any other night, we consider the meaning of the sacrament of Holy Communion. Tonight, we gather in the presence of the Lord, and we consider the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples in this life. And at this point in the epistle narratives, we share with Paul a basic link: We are all talking about an event we did not witness with our own eyes, but a tradition that ...
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
There is one question that pastors get asked more often than any other, especially at this time of year. Can you guess what it is? "If God loves us so much, why does he allow suffering?" Sometimes it's a personal question: "Why am I having to suffer so much?" or "Why is the person I love so much having to suffer like this?" Sometimes, after a disaster, it's more general: "Where was God when the vo...
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
Today's epistle lesson shows us Paul's legal training. Throughout his letters to the early Christians, Paul uses the language of the court system to talk about our relationship to God, from seeing Jesus acting as our attorney to this statement -- that we have been justified: that is, acquitted or pronounced innocent. It is not the same word as "virtuous" nor "innocent as a child." It means that, h...
11. The Peace Treaty
2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
In our nation, we are proud to say that nobody has any right to tell us what to do. No foreign power is superior to us; no outside body dares criticize us. We will take under advisement comments from our allies, but as the world superpower we are the ones who will advise others, not the other way around. This is also true in our personal lives. One of our chief values is self-reliance, the abilit...
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
Years ago, in a cartoon strip named Tumbleweeds, the captain of the fort sent his trusted scout to find out what was up with the Indians in their area. The scout returned, announcing, "Captain, I have lived with the Indians, eaten their food, taken part in their ceremonies and listened to what they say." The captain replied, "What have you to say?" And the scout responded, "Get off our land." When...
13. To Bow The Knee
Philippians 2:5-11
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
On this Passion/Palm Sunday, we both celebrate the triumphal procession that was due to Jesus as the Christ, and look forward to his betrayal and death just a few days later. And so, this passage from Philippians is exactly right for our text this morning. In it, Paul is quoting an early Christian hymn, a hymn that triumphantly extols Jesus, not just for the amazing work he has done on our behalf,...
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
Although there are several ways of looking at the Atonement, and equal justification for each interpretation, let us consider just one today: the idea that Jesus came as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). It is the basis for the statement Paul wants to make in this passage. On Ash Wednesday, we considered Paul's claim that he had been sent as an ambassador on behalf of Christ, begging us to be rec...
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
Have you ever stood at the side of a baby's crib, just watching the little chest go up and down, the tiny fingers curl and twitch just a bit, the tiny mouth make sucking movements? At such times, the heart just melts, doesn't it? We cannot help but love this little bundle. What has that baby done to deserve such love, such an upwelling of protective feelings? Nothing, really -- it just was lucky e...
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
How everyone loves a newborn baby! We cannot help but turn when we hear the distinctive cry of a very new person. And when we see new babies, we almost always go over for a look, even if we don't talk to the parents. It's instinctive, really -- an inborn guarantee that this tiny infant, dependent for its every need on the goodwill of those around it, will get what it needs. So when the baby cries,...
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