Psalm 146 To view a recording of this sermon, click here “Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, for there is no help in them. When they breathe their last, they return to earth, and in that day their thoughts perish.” For generations, the people of God have prayed thisContinue reading “Happy Are We”
Author Archives: amcaudill27
Led by the Blind
Mark 10:46-52 In today’s Gospel passage we receive a real-world illustration of the teaching Jesus has been trying to instill in his disciples over the last few weeks of readings. He told them to let the little children come to him, that those who wish to enter the kingdom must be like those children. HeContinue reading “Led by the Blind”
Serve Boldly
Mark 10:35-45 Right on the heels of the rich young man’s challenge to let go of all the possessions and privileges that have shaped his life, we encounter two more young men about to learn a hard lesson from Jesus. When picturing the scene, I find it helpful to remember that many of Jesus’s disciplesContinue reading “Serve Boldly”
Freedom in Christ is Free
Mark 10:17-31 “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The person who asks this question is known as the rich young man, or the rich young ruler. He has the sociocultural trifecta- wealth, youth, and status. He has many possessions, Mark tells us. He also seems to have a fourth important factor-Continue reading “Freedom in Christ is Free”
Welcoming the Child
Mark 9:30-37 One of the best sermons I’ve ever heard preached came from the mouth of a 3 year old. It was in seminary, in the school chapel, on a Thursday night. Normally, that chapel was a pretty intense and intimidating place. It was where we learned to do the dance of liturgy to theContinue reading “Welcoming the Child”
Who will save us?
Mark 8:27-38 Who do people say that Jesus is? A savior, a prophet, a healer, a friend, a sacrificial lamb, a judge, a Messiah, a wisdom teacher, a radical, a revolutionary, a Palestinian Jew, the Son of God, just a really good dude with some good ideas—the list goes on. I’ve even heard questionably earnestContinue reading “Who will save us?”
Being Human, and Being Better at it
Mark 7:24-37 The reality of the incarnation is one of the greatest scandals of history. Not the fact that God came to earth, plenty of deities have done that in mythology from all over the world. Not the fact that a human woman gave birth to a somehow more-than-human child, since of course the mythsContinue reading “Being Human, and Being Better at it”
What Comes Out
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Amid a spike in Covid and other illnesses as end-of-summer travel bugs collide with back-to-school germs, its hard not to be on the side of the Pharisees when they ask why Jesus’s disciples are eating with unwashed hands. So I want to be very clear- Jesus is not condemning hand hygiene.Continue reading “What Comes Out”
Enough
John 6:1-21 I have lost count of the times I have heard someone ask “Will there be enough?” in the hours before a church event. As bodies flow into a potluck and the dishes on the table don’t seem to keep pace, we bite our nails and check the freezer for a backup plan. AsContinue reading “Enough”
Choosing Rest
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 This week, I had the privilege of joining our friends at Trinity Lynchburg, Grace Memorial Lynchburg, and Peakland Baptist as they hosted Compassion Camp. It might have looked to us like a VBS, but the Trinity children’s minister reminded us often that this is not vacation Bible school, because most children doContinue reading “Choosing Rest”
Mother A Writes 