In this sermon we start a new series allowing some of the voices from the Philokalia to help us hear the gospel. Today we look at some verses from Matthew’s gospel alongside of some words from Isaiah the Solitary. We focus on what it means to guard what we let in and what we let out. We talk about the connection between the inner and outer life, the time I got agitated by a large work vehicle outside my house, a scene from a Narnia story, and the idea that over time spiritual things accumulate. May we encounter the crucified Christ raised from the dead in these words.

In this sermon we conclude our series on resilience and hope. We begin by reviewing what we have talked about so far. We then talk about images of hope through the Shajarat-al-Hayat (Tree of Life inBahrain), walking palm trees, and a flower growing out of the concrete. Next we consider Peter’s words about what it means to have a living hope as we suffer various trials. From there the sermon shifts to speak of the kinds of people Peter was writing to, strangers and aliens in Roman society who found a home in the church and embraced the gospel as good news for those on the margins and disruptive to those with power, influence, money, status, etc. The living hope of the gospel is for everyone, but where you find yourself in society will determine with it’s good news or whether it’s difficult to receive because of what it asks of you.

In this sermon we talk hope in relation to our culture of fear.