Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany of the Lord (2011)
Illustration
Isaiah 60:1-6
Mike Weir was the 2003 Masters champion. He spent 110 weeks as one of the world's top ten golfers from 2001 and 2005. It looked like his successful career would continue; but unfortunately it was set back by elbow and wrist injuries. Despite his physical handicaps, Weir did not give up nor did he lose hope. At the age of 41, financially secure, Weir continued to compete. Then in the summer of 2011 he began to regain his game but a comeback was still on the distant horizon. His fortitude is reflected when he said, "I'm going to dig my way out of this, no matter how long it takes."
Isaiah told the people of Judah to "Arise, shine… for nations will come to your light." Judah, after years of despondency, was now to become the light of the world. With the persistent attitude that "I'm going to dig my way out of this, no matter how long it takes" we can all "Arise, shine" and be a light onto others.
R. Love
Ephesians 3:1-12
The mystery of the plan that the gospel might be spread beyond the covenant people to the whole Gentile world continues to expand in our own day. Philip Jenkins, in an article in the Christian Century magazine titled "Religion by the numbers," argues that by 2050 Africa's Christians will outnumber Europe's by more than two to one.
Jenkins explains: "Take the continent of Africa. In 1900, Africa had around 100 million people, or 6% of the global population. In 2005, the number of Africans reached 1 billion, or 15% of humanity. By 2050, Africa's population will be between 2 billion and 2.25 billion, which will then be about a quarter of the world's people… By that time about a third of the world's Christians will be African, and those African Christians will outnumber Europe's by more than two to one. The Christian world will have turned upside down."
R. Hasler
Ephesians 3:1-12
Integration can sometimes be a very painful, harrowing process. Consider the troubles encountered in the American south during the Civil Rights Movement, or South Africa's difficult transition out of apartheid. It is not easy to bring together two groups of people that had lived apart for so long.
For so long in Israel's history, there were the Jews, and then there were the Gentiles. Like oil and water, they never mixed. Spiritually, they were going in two different directions. After Jesus came, however, the time arrived in which these two separate groups would be called to come together. It, too, was a difficult process but that integration is now part of our spiritual heritage: "This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (v. 6).
C. Kelly
Matthew 2:1-12
Can a story become too familiar? Can a story become overdone? Can a story lose its meaning through repetition? That was People magazine's review of the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Even though the movie was based on Tim Power's 1987 fantasy novel On Stranger Tides, Johnny Deep still gave the same performance and the storyline seemed to mimic the three previous Pirates of the Caribbean movies. The reviewer wrote that the movie was "a rote replay of the series' earlier outings."
Can a story become too familiar? This is too often the case with the gospel stories. In today's reading, how often have we heard the story of the three wise men; the star; the encounter with Herod; the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh so often that we really no longer hear it? In fact we no longer hear but we have also lost the dramatic effects of what was occurring. Let us be sure that the stories of the Bible do not become just another movie sequel for us.
R. Love
Mike Weir was the 2003 Masters champion. He spent 110 weeks as one of the world's top ten golfers from 2001 and 2005. It looked like his successful career would continue; but unfortunately it was set back by elbow and wrist injuries. Despite his physical handicaps, Weir did not give up nor did he lose hope. At the age of 41, financially secure, Weir continued to compete. Then in the summer of 2011 he began to regain his game but a comeback was still on the distant horizon. His fortitude is reflected when he said, "I'm going to dig my way out of this, no matter how long it takes."
Isaiah told the people of Judah to "Arise, shine… for nations will come to your light." Judah, after years of despondency, was now to become the light of the world. With the persistent attitude that "I'm going to dig my way out of this, no matter how long it takes" we can all "Arise, shine" and be a light onto others.
R. Love
Ephesians 3:1-12
The mystery of the plan that the gospel might be spread beyond the covenant people to the whole Gentile world continues to expand in our own day. Philip Jenkins, in an article in the Christian Century magazine titled "Religion by the numbers," argues that by 2050 Africa's Christians will outnumber Europe's by more than two to one.
Jenkins explains: "Take the continent of Africa. In 1900, Africa had around 100 million people, or 6% of the global population. In 2005, the number of Africans reached 1 billion, or 15% of humanity. By 2050, Africa's population will be between 2 billion and 2.25 billion, which will then be about a quarter of the world's people… By that time about a third of the world's Christians will be African, and those African Christians will outnumber Europe's by more than two to one. The Christian world will have turned upside down."
R. Hasler
Ephesians 3:1-12
Integration can sometimes be a very painful, harrowing process. Consider the troubles encountered in the American south during the Civil Rights Movement, or South Africa's difficult transition out of apartheid. It is not easy to bring together two groups of people that had lived apart for so long.
For so long in Israel's history, there were the Jews, and then there were the Gentiles. Like oil and water, they never mixed. Spiritually, they were going in two different directions. After Jesus came, however, the time arrived in which these two separate groups would be called to come together. It, too, was a difficult process but that integration is now part of our spiritual heritage: "This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (v. 6).
C. Kelly
Matthew 2:1-12
Can a story become too familiar? Can a story become overdone? Can a story lose its meaning through repetition? That was People magazine's review of the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Even though the movie was based on Tim Power's 1987 fantasy novel On Stranger Tides, Johnny Deep still gave the same performance and the storyline seemed to mimic the three previous Pirates of the Caribbean movies. The reviewer wrote that the movie was "a rote replay of the series' earlier outings."
Can a story become too familiar? This is too often the case with the gospel stories. In today's reading, how often have we heard the story of the three wise men; the star; the encounter with Herod; the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh so often that we really no longer hear it? In fact we no longer hear but we have also lost the dramatic effects of what was occurring. Let us be sure that the stories of the Bible do not become just another movie sequel for us.
R. Love
