Topic: Pentecost

Our earthly lives are fleeting, and most people have great difficulty with that – a lament which is echoed by the author of Ecclesiastes. To cope with our mortality, so many of us resort to vanity – pride in our own achievements or appearance, and devoting our lives to worthless things. We pile up possessions on earth which we cannot take with us when we die. But our most prized possession should in fact be God. As the famous hymn says, “we are rich in things, but poor in soul.” But as Luke’s Gospel challenges us, we must instead be rich towards God.

The Day of Pentecost is one of the most widely misconstrued events in Church history. Contrary to popular belief, the Day of Pentecost is about far more than the gift of speaking in tongues – it is about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church, empowering Christians as God’s chosen people to go forth and renew the face of the earth.

As we look at the Scriptures, we see the stark contrast between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world. If we are reminded of one thing on the Feast of Christ the King, it is that we belong to a Kingdom that is not of this earth, serving a King who is perfectly holy, perfectly righteous, and just, perfectly powerful, and yet perfectly loving and merciful.

If we spend even a little time reading the Bible, we will encounter ominous passages about the end times. Yet God does not call us to hide in a bunker for the rest of our lives! Instead, God through the Holy Scriptures calls us to have confidence in the last days, for our faith in Christ is the only thing of ours that will hold firm against an uncertain future. Join the Rector as he discusses our confidence in the last days.

Like the widow before Elijah, like every believer, we have the choice whether or not to obey the Word of the Lord. Obedience requires courage, and we will require both to properly steward God’s gifts to us. Like the widow, we are called to obey God, even if it doesn’t immediately make sense to us. And if we trust and obey, God will reward us, as He has promised. Listen as the Rev. Galloway discusses the confidence we should have in obedience to God’s Word.

We spend all our life building our own towers of Babel – monuments to sin and pride. Both collectively and individually, we put ourselves in the place of God. We build them brick by brick, over the course of decades, and we become blind to the fact that our building of the towers is not only sinful, but irrational. And therefore, we can’t expect the world to improve – to take down the collective tower of Babel – unless we are willing to take down our own towers, brick by brick. Listen as the Rev. Galloway explains the importance of confronting our sins.

Most of us spend our entire lives trying to avoid pain and suffering as much as possible, even at all costs. But we serve a God whose Son endured the ultimate pain and suffering on the Cross, so that we might have eternal life. How should we approach suffering, then? In this sermon, the Bishop-retired explains how we should relate to suffering, and that we need not be afraid.

Why aren’t we more aware of this idea, the fleeting nature of life? The vast majority of our lives are spent in denial of our mortality, but Scripture constantly reminds us to do the opposite. The refrain from Psalm 90, verse 12 has incredibly wide-reaching implications: “So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Psalm 90 sets the tone for all of our other readings this week, and verse 12 is the lens through which to read the other three passages, as well as our entire lives. Admitting that our time on earth is short is uncomfortable, but it’s not morbid. In fact, it’s required for living a proper Christian life. Watch as the Rector discusses the principle of numbering our days.

As the sexual revolution confuses male and female, and overtakes our schools and daily life, we will be forced to confront these issues increasingly within our families. The answer to sin and deviant behavior in our families, as a Christian, is not to bail on what you believe in. It is not to tell your neighbor what he wants to hear. The answer is to hold your ground in appropriate love. Are our families complicated? Absolutely. Will we see an increase in alternative lifestyles? Absolutely. But how will you be remembered? May others know that you belonged to Christ.