Rev Chris Roth

Prov 6:6-19 1 Thes 4:9-12 Luke 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. We usually think of sloth as laziness, but that is only partially true. To really understand sloth you first have to first determine the point of human life. According to the saints, the point of human existence is to love and serve God. This has two different aspects. There is a general reality common to all of us, and a personal reality that is specific to each person. The common reality we all share is that all Christians are expected to worship God, study Scripture (to learn the way of Jesus), pray, be grateful for their life, love others, live honestly, support a just society, and so on. There are certain basic expectations for how we live our lives and to neglect this basic guidance regarding our lives is to be marked by sloth. We are negligent of our calling if we...

1Kings 3:16-28; Gal5:16-26; Luke12:13-34   Today we are continuing our series on the Seven Deadly Sins- the seven major diseases of the soul and the graces that cure them. Today we are dealing with 2 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. 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. Envy is different than admiration. I can admire a saint and be drawn deeper into relationship with God. Admiration can motivate me to be better than I am. The Catholic theologian Peter Kreeft says,  "Aspiration looks up and says, 'I aspire to be up there too.' ...Envy, on the other ha...

Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-19; Luke 4:1-13 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.  Sin isn’t very fashionable to speak about. Maybe you even had a little internal cringe when I said we were going to be looking at Sin. Preaching on Sin brings to mind the stereotype of the pulpit pounding preacher. … So why talk about sin? …  The goal of the Christian is to live a life infused with the life of Christ. Our goal is to have our minds renewed and brought into union with his. … This isn’t to lose our individuality. It is actually to find out who we truly are. Sin is what stands in the way of this union. It is sin that leaves us estranged from God. It is the disease of the soul that prevents us from coming to full health. Sin is to be out of sync with God and the world He has made. Sin separates...

Luke 9:28-36 Today we have reached the end of the season of Epiphany. “Epiphany” comes from a Greek word meaning something like “manifestation”. Many medieval calendars used the Greek name “Theophany” for this season, which means ‘manifestation of God’. This season is about how God was made manifest in the person of Jesus, and how he was shown to be both fully human and fully divine. Throughout this season we have read about different ways that Christ has been made known to the world. The season is bookended by two major events. The first is the visit of the Magi to Jesus and his parents. And the event that ends the season is the Transfiguration. … This season has been all about the revelation of who Jesus is. We have seen his early miracles and some of his central teaching, and all of that is about getting to know him. Right before our Gospel reading today Jesus asks his disciples the question, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” And they answer, “John the Baptist, but som...