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Lent 3- Sloth

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  Prov 6:6-19; Psalm 90; Eph 5:15-20; Lk 13:6-9 We are continuing our examination of the Seven Deadly Sins which are the major diseases of the soul. This week we are looking at the sin of sloth. Sometimes it is called acedia. We usually think of sloth as laziness, but that is only partially true. Sloth gets in the way of your goal as a human being- which is to love and serve God. Our calling includes a ‘general calling’ (that is common to all of us), but we also have a ‘specific calling’ (which is unique to us as individuals). The general calling that All Christians share includes things like worshiping God, studying Scripture to learn the ways of Jesus, praying, showing gratitude for our life, loving others, living honestly, working to create a just society, and so on. You might think of these as our Baptism vows. Our general calling is the way of life for all Christians. To neglect this call on our life is sloth. As well as the general calling that we...
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Lent 2- Envy and Greed

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  1 Kings 3:16-28; Psalm 49; Galatians 5:16-26; Luke 12:13-34 Today we are continuing our series on the Seven Deadly Sins- the seven major diseases of the soul and the virtues that cure them. Today we are dealing with two of the Seven Sins- Envy and Greed. These two can seem somewhat related, and they are sometimes confused, so it might be helpful if we define them alongside each other. Envy is the pain or sadness we feel when someone possesses some object, quality, or status that we don’t possess. It is the sorrow we feel at someone else’s good fortune. Related to this, we will also feel a kind of pleasure when we see something bad happen to the person we envy. … Envy doesn’t necessarily want the thing, they just don’t want the other person to have it. It is inherently comparative and comes with a sense of rivalry. It brings feelings of resentment, bitterness, and hostility towards the person who is the object of envy. Envy is different than admiration. I can admire a saint a...
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Interesting Thoughts on Liberal Theology from 'Lord of Spirits'

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  See the section is starting around 2hrs and 37 minutes  Fr. Stephen:  As I say that, there are a certain number of the  more -instructed who probably blanched, because they heard shades or  the  shade of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel when I said that. There's a ghost that haunts a lot of people. The reason I said "in a sense" is that when  we  say that, we don't mean what Hegel meant when he said similar things. So Hegel— When Hegel talks about "spirit," Hegel is actually very clear: he  means  the Holy Spirit. Hegel was a Lutheran, and if you don't understand that Hegel is a Lutheran— self-described. He always insisted he was an orthodox Lutheran. And if you don't understand that he's a Lutheran, you won't understand Hegel correctly, because he's  really  Lutheran. But he means the Holy Spirit. But  Hegel worked in the opposite direction. Hegel understood history as having a through-line, and Hegel is vastly influential...
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Lent 1- Pride

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Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7; Psalm 32; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11 Today we are starting a sermon series for Lent. We will be looking at the Seven Deadly Sins- Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed, and Sloth. … The goal of the Christian is to live a life that becomes more and more Christ-like. St. Paul teaches,  “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (Phil 2:5). … Sin is what stands in the way of this. It is sin that leaves us estranged from God. It is the disease of the soul that prevents us from being fully healed. Sin puts us out of sync with God and the world He made. God grants the virtues as antidotes to counteract sin- humility cures pride; kindness cures envy; charity cures greed; diligence cures sloth, temperance cures gluttony; chastity cures lust; and forgiveness cures anger. … The archetypal pattern of sin is the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The serpent suggested to Eve that God is a liar and that eating the fruit of the tree would r...
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