Sermons

In Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" Ebeneezer Scrooge is described as a self-absorbed old miser who lives only for himself. He is devoid of any community and, in this brief life, lives only for the gain and preservation of things non-eternal with blinders on to suffering humanity all around him.  This is the same description Jesus gives of the rich man in the Parable of the Rich Man & Lazarus.  Both Scrooge and the rich man were on a collision course with an eternal fate that no one would desire.  Today we look at how Scrooge was brought to beautiful tears of repentance which freed him to become love and be enabled to receive love in one of the most beautiful descriptions of the transformation of a very broken person. There is a little of Scrooge and the rich man in each of us, how might we come to enjoy the fullness of life that is only found in becoming the love of God for those around us?

Ebeneezer Scrooge and the Parable of the Rich Man & Lazarus

In the Parable of the Great Supper from St. Luke 14, our Lord reveals the heart of God and His framework for the salvation of mankind.  It is God Who prepares the banquet inviting all to come in and partake of His goodness.  But some who were invited make non-eternal excuses for why they cannot accept His invitation while many others come and receive the goodness of God.  In this parable, our Lord wants us to see that our priorities are excellent indicators of that which our heart truly desires. May we all allow our Lord to turn our hearts to love Him above all things that we may enjoy the fullness of His banquet of salvation.

The Question of Priorities

In 1 Peter 5 St. Peter teaches the entire Church, both Clergy and Laity, how they are to live in relationship to God and to one another.  The Apostle implores all to live from Christ's Nature of Humility.  Today we open our souls to see the value of this great virtue and how Christ desires to free us from the service of ourselves and the consuming thoughts we have about ourselves.  May Christ set us free so that we may live in the joy of doing His will.

Humility in the Life of the Church

It can be said that the Christian life is broken down into three phases. First, the joy and excitement of conversion.  Second, there is a season of struggle where God can feel very distant or absent in our lives.  The third phase is the blessedness of a grown and matured faith that grants us such a deeper experience of God in our lives.  Today we focus on how to best live and weather the storm of the season of our journey with Christ through the sufferings of this life.  Allowing Christ to be a part of our great sufferings helps us to know Him in ways we never could before.

How to Live in Times of Suffering & Struggle

Our Gospel reading today is the miraculous catch of fish in St. Luke 5.  Today we look at all that transpired to see the true framework for the fulfilling of the Great Commission by Christian evangelism.  Evangelism, and every good work, begins with our encounter and experience with Christ our God.  There faith is born enabling us to follow Christ beyond our human reason.  At the catch of fish, Christ invited Simon Peter to cooperate with Him in this wondrous miracle.  Simon Peter, when asked to go into the deep waters and cast the net, said to the Lord, "At your word, I will." Christ did the rest and the miraculous catch of fish took place.  Our Lord is the beginning and the end of all Christian evangelism. And we are changed as we cooperate with Him.

The True Nature of Christian Evangelism

November 4, 2018 - Peter asks Jesus how many times must he forgive the offenses of his brother.  Jesus answer is that he must forgive endlessly, without limit.  Then Jesus gives us what we know as the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.  He begins with the words, "The Kingdom of God is like..."  This homily explores the realities of the Kingdom regarding Christ's call to us to forgive in the same way we have been forgiven.  Though Jesus gives difficult words, His words are true and always for the healing of our soul.  We must forgive so that we may be set free.

The Call & The Grace to Forgive

At St. Peter Orthodox Church, you will find a people committed to our Lord and to one another. Everything we do in our Parish is to either encourage us toward maturity in our Christian life or to be a means by which we can encounter the reality and grace of God toward the healing of our soul.