Rev Chris Roth

  Jeremiah 33:14-16;  Psalm 25:1-10;  1 Thessalonians 3:9-13;  Luke 21:25-36 Today we are starting a new year in the church’s calendar. The Church year always begins with Advent. Advent is about expectation. It is about anticipating something that we have no control over. We read in Jeremiah, “The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfil the promise I made” (Jeremiah 33:14). We can’t force this. Our impatience won’t make this come any faster. We are waiting for a door to open that we have no key for. Over our history, humanity has tried to make heaven come to earth on our own. … For example, the Late Victorian Era was known for its optimism and activism. Optimism is the pervasive belief that things are getting progressively better. Activism is the disposition towards acting to make change in the world.   For the Late Victorians they believed that Colonialism was about spreading civilization. They believed they were making the world a better...

2 Samuel 23:1-7; Psalm 132:1-12, (13-18);  Revelation 1:4-8; John 18:33-37 Today is “Christ the King” Sunday. Sometimes it is called the “Reign of Christ” Sunday. It marks the very end of the church calendar. It brings us to the ultimate end of history as we know it, which is the eventual recognition of all of creation that Christ is the ruler of all- that his love triumphs over hate and greed. That he is greater than all the false idols that try to tempt us into their worship- like money, power, and lust. Christ provides the ultimate meaning for our life, and is the ultimate power at the foundation of the universe. God has allowed a certain level of ambiguity to continue until the Day that all creation recognizes Christ as King. That ambiguity allows the question to remain in the air. This means that in our own day there are many possible answers to the question of the ultimate power of the universe and meaning of our lives. So, we are surrounded by alternative beliefs regarding...

  Hebrews Today what I thought we could do is to talk about the book of Hebrews. We often look at a smaller portion of a letter or book, but sometimes it is good to step back and look at the overall book. I thought we would do that today since we have had a number of readings from Hebrews over the weeks. Hebrews is a bit mysterious. We aren’t sure who the author is. There are a number of different theories. The author seems to be a “he” as he refers to himself using masculine grammar (11:32). He seems to have been highly educated based on writing style and vocabulary. He also seems to have known Timothy, who knew Paul. He may have known some of those who heard Jesus and the original disciples. So, he would be considered a second-generation Christian. He believed on the basis of hearing the witnesses of Jesus. The title is the “letter to the Hebrews”, but it doesn’t really follow the letter writing forms of the day. Hebrews seems to be a sermon that was probably written t...

  Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17; Psalm 127; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44 Our Gospel reading begins with a warning about the Scribes, who were among the religious experts of the day. They were the experts in the Scriptures. They were the ones who taught the people how to live according to God’s Law. They answered the tricky questions people had about God and how they should be living. In their culture, that also meant they were highly respected people. Jesus says,  “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honour at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers” (Mk 12:38-40). If you are looking to be admired, while also taking advantage of people, a great place to hide is where the culture will place you beyond accusation. … In a highly religious culture that is to become a religious authority. You can hide behind t...