What is in Kelvin's Head?

Sermon – the Maker, Troublemaker, Peacemaker

19/08/2013

Here’s what I said on Sunday in the pulpit about that tricky gospel reading.

Not peace, but a division

Sometimes one reads the Gospel in church and everyone nods knowingly. You can tell that people think that what is being said is wise and good.

When we tell the story of the Good Samaritan, perhaps. Or the Prodigal Son. Or the stories of his response when people brought him those who were sick.

We hear Jesus being clever, holy and gracious. We see him healing and enlightening and blessing.

And we approve.

We approve of this Saviour for he is made in the image of all our hopes and our dreams.

This is a God whom we can like. He would not be out of place in our company. We would be honoured to take him home for tea.

But the truth is, Christianity is about something a little more than this. It is about following a Saviour who sometimes turns around and says things that we find tricky, difficult or bewildering. (more…)

5 responses to “Sermon – 16 February 2014”

Jimmy

16/02/2014

“The pack mentality of Episcopal collegiality”
Practice this line a little-did you?

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1. Kelvin
  
  17/02/2014
  
  Trots off the tongue.
  
  Reply
Fr. Ron Smith

17/02/2014

Thank you, Father. I enjoy your prompts to the Church at large – to come out of its chrysalis and bring the Good News of Christ to a needy world. I’ve taken the liberty of putting this article on my own web-site – kiwianglo – I hope you don’t mind. My response to the Sunday Gospel was much like your own. Agape, Fr.Ron

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Lawrence Rosenfeld

19/02/2014

I convene the Committee of Lay Persons who support our parish’s Seminarians. We are, in part, tasked with giving feedback when s/he preaches.

We “did” Matt 5:21-37 at Bible Study Wednesday evening under the leadership of our bright, energetic, capable and well-prepared exchange seminarian from Ripon College, Cuddesdon, and then she preached on Sunday. So by the time Fr. Kelvin’s sermon reached my in-tray, I had had the better part of a week to wrestle with this difficult passage – and the advantage of much discussion about it.

My personal feeling is that I want to come away from Mass or Bible study with a renewed and possibly enhanced sense of how my faith informs my everyday life and my relationships with others. Turns out that over the past month our little neighborhood has been the scene of a certain amount of conflict. The irony is that the prime source of the conflict has to do with some of our neighbors trying to “build community,” in ways that have actually driven a wedge between them and others.

Thinking about the Gospel reading (and the lectionary bit from I Corinthians) in the context of my life away from Church has been incredibly profound. Thank you so much for your sermon which added dimension to my ruminations and allowed me to keep the inner dialogue ongoing and fresh.

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Fr Steve

21/02/2014

As a preacher I was pleased to “hear your voice”
The content was of course ‘spot on’
Very much appreciate your public ministry (mine is drawing to a close) and wish you well with the Rectorial Election.

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