Fencing the Table, Dealing with Differences

David R. Sawyer

Director of Lifelong Learning and Advanced Degrees, and Professor of Ministry

November, 19, 2010

Luke 11:5-10

People who are different, such as those with challenging sexualities or even those who differ from us socially or theologically can be thought of as inconvenient visitors, which is a theme of the parable of the “Neighbor at Midnight” from Luke 11:5-13. The parable can be interpreted as a clash of cultural or moral codes and it could be seen as a story of God’s never-failing love for all people, even those who knock on our doors at midnight. The parable could be seen as a critique of “fencing the table,” a practice of insuring that those who participate in the Eucharist are doing so worthily, is used as a metaphor for the community’s approach to inconvenient visitors. Listen to the sermon. Read the sermon in PDF.

Psalm 130

Patricia K. Tull

A. B. Rhodes Professor Emerita of Old Testament

November 12, 2010
Psalm 130

Lament psalms help us to tell the truth about this world of wounds. Psalm 130 expresses expectancy, trust that God sees the chasm between what is and what ought to be, and is at work to transform this world of wounds into a garden of redemption. Listen to the sermon. Read the sermon in PDF.

Genesis 16

Elizabeth Johnson Walker

Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling

October 15, 2010—Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Genesis 16

1 Samuel 16-20

Domestic violence and God’s good intention for creation have lived in tragic tension for centuries. In the first family we are reminded that in a fit of jealousy and rage, Cain killed his own brother Abel. Domestic violence is a sin that separates and isolates victims from sources of value and meaning in God’s good creation. Listen to the sermon. Read the sermon in PDF.

A Rich Feast for All Peoples

Amy Plantinga Pauw

Henry P. Mobley Professor of Doctrinal Theology

October 8, 2010—World Communion Service
Isaiah 25:1-10

Isaiah’s vision of a rich feast for all peoples reminds us that World Communion is never just about ourselves as Christians. Listen to the sermon. Read the sermon in PDF.