κήρυξον τὸν λόγον

  Have no fear. This is our word for today. What are you afraid of?  I can’t tell you how many times I have heard that line. As a father, I wouldn’t be surprised if I have said it even more than I have heard it. What are you afraid of? Franklin Delanor Roosevelt is famous for telling the world that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself . ... that that fear is nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror . Of course, there wouldn’t have been a reason for FDR to assert that there was “ nothing to fear ” unless there actually was something to fear. What do you fear? When FDR delivered that line ... during his inaugural address in 1932 ... the Great Depression was just hitting its stride ... The American family was being devastated ... 5.5 million people were homeless. Life expectancy was only 59 years. Unemployment 25%. Nothing to fear, you say? We’ve come a long way.  But to be clear, Americans still have much to fear.  Chapman University in southern California ha...

Are you a compassionate person?  Most of us probably consider ourselves to be compassionate. After all, it’s not too difficult for everyone in this room to have sympathy for the other people here, people you’ve been sitting next to all of your life, and then finding yourselves moved to come to each other’s aid, and actually following through.  That is compassion. You care deeply about each other. You have empathy for each other because many of you have walked a mile in each other’s shoes. You have suffered together, worked together, prayed together. And you care deeply when the people around you break ankles and heels ... when they are diagnosed with bad hearts and eyes ... when they are suffering ... that you search for ways to relieve or ease their pain.  That is compassion. Compassion is a most enviable trait. In some circles, it is the top quality that a person can have. A website called The Sales Blog ranked compassion ahead of humility, grit, game, loyalty, strength...

Now the eleven disciples went into Galilee, onto the mountain where Jesus directed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but they doubted. Can you believe that? They doubted!? The Lord’s inner circle!? The eleven!? Those in whom he trusted most!? Those who knew him, who loved him. They worshiped him but they doubted. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised by this news at the end of the Gospel of Matthew. When the disciples saw their resurrected Lord for the first time after he rose from the dead on Easter, they worshiped him, but they doubted . They knew who he is. They knew he was with the Father, and the Father was with him.  Yet they were uncertain about what they were seeing. Perhaps they were afraid of what it would mean. Afraid of what he would say ... Afraid of what he was going to do ... Afraid ... just days after they all abandoned him in doubt and fear.  How could any of the eleven doubt? This is Jesus, is it not? Does this mean Jesus really is God, equal to the F...