Exodus 17.4-14

Patrick O'Connor
Pastor, First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica
(Queens, NY)
Louisville Seminary Trustee

April 27, 2018
Exodus 17.4-14

What can we do best and how can we allow God's work and will to be done?  How can we work together in this time and place to further God's plan?
Listen to the sermon.

A Life in Translation

Amy Plantinga Pauw
Henry P. Mobley Jr. Professor of Doctrinal Theology

October 6, 2015
Ruth 1:11-18;22

Listen to the sermon.

Grace Spoken Here

Matthew S. Collins

Director of the Ernest Miller White Library
Associate Professor of Bibliography and Research

September 18, 2015
Mark 9:30-37

Listen to the sermon.

(Insert Expletive Here) the Box

Caitlin Simpson
LPTS Student Body President

May 6, 2015
Romans 12:2,3

Since being in seminary I have learned a thing or two about that box we call the pulpit.  I can’t, in good conscious enter into that box.  Learn why by listening to the sermon or reading the sermon in PDF.

(Note: there are a few expletives in this sermon. If you feel you are likely to be offended, please don’t listen or read.)

And the Word Became Flesh

Matthew S. Collins
Director, Ernest Miller White Library
Associate Professor of Bibliography and Research
September 4, 2014
Fall Convocation
John 1:1-17
Digital technologies now seem to touch nearly every area of our lives, regardless of whether we are one of those who are “always on” or one who is only occasionally online.  The pervasive nature of our digital tech raises questions about how it may or may not affect our personal lives, our relationships, and our communities.  The most significant effects to be addressed will be the decontextualizing and disembodying nature of the information we send, retrieve, and use with our digital tools.  Listen to the address.

Commanded to Love

David Hester
Harrison Ray Anderson Professor of Pastoral Theology, Professor of Christian Education, and Director, Doctor of Ministry and Continuing Education

November 2, 2012
Leviticus 19:9-18
Mark 12:28-34

Is it odd to be commanded to love?  How does this relate to political campaigns and our relationship to those less fortunate?  Listen to the sermon.

God Can Go Where?

Tyler Mayfield
Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible and Old Testament

September 21, 2012
Ezekiel 10:18-22

During a time of national crisis, Ezekiel dares to imagine a God who can move outside the Temple to be with God’s people. Listen to the sermon.

Commencement Address - 2012

The Rev. Mr. George Heartwell
Mayor of Grand Rapids, MI

May 20, 2012
Commencement

Climate change is destroying species and pitting wealthy nations against impoverished nations.  This is, in fact, an ethical failing. The task today is to reflect on our role as earth-keepers, those given dominion over plants and animals, oceans and deserts, mountains and canyons; those charged with being neighbor to the one in need.  Read the address.

Becoming the People of God

Frances S. Adeney

William A. Benfield, Jr. Professor of Evangelism and Global Mission
November 11, 2011
1 Peter 2:9,10
1Peter 3:8,9
Read first in Indonesian, then in English
Getting along in community can be a tough job.  Listen to the sermon

A Prayer to Begin With--Psalm 51

David C. Hester

Dean of the Seminary, Vice President for Academic Affairs

Harrison Ray Anderson Professor of Pastoral Theology

September 9, 2011
Psalm 51:1-19

There are snakes in every Garden of Eden. Things don’t always go well; people don’t always get along; words are not always kind and nurturing; and differences in color, culture, sexual orientation, church traditions, beliefs and world views are not always so warmly embraced by we who don’t always see eye to eye. Listen to the sermon.  Read the sermon in PDF.

Then Dawns the Bright Day--Philippians

Susan R. Garrett
Professor of New Testament Studies

October 21, 2001
Phil 1:3-5; Phil 1:29-30; Phil 4:2-3; Phil 2:6-7

When we idealize Christian community we place our own dreams above the reality created by God. We make idols of our dreams about what Christian community should be like, of our dreams of what Christians should be like.  Listen to the sermon.  Read the sermon in PDF.

Looking Back

Barbara Wheeler

Former President of Auburn Theological Seminary
Head of the Center for the Study of Theological Education

Presidential Inauguration
April 14, 2011
What does it take to be numbered among the great seminary presidents? Read the address in PDF.

Romans 12: 1-8

David Snardon

Student Body President

Pastor, Joshua Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church

May 12, 2011
Romans 12: 1-8

Before being ecumenical was popular Paul was trying to bring everybody together. This was a difficult task and yet Paul believed that diversity is good, but unity in Jesus is so much better. Listen to the sermon. Read the sermon in PDF.

The Life of the Mind in the Service of God: Why a Thinking Faith Still Matters

Michael Jinkins

President and Professor of Theology

September 9, 2010

Convocation

Today, perhaps more than at any time since the Protestant Reformation, we need to recover a commitment to an intellectually rigorous faith, a courageous and imaginative faith, a thinking faith so memorably expressed in John Calvin’s phrase, ‘the life of the mind in the service of God. One of the great challenges of theological education and of the life of faith in our time is to make a case for that quality of thinking faith which does not shrink either from scholarship or from acts of compassion, from the adventure of critical thought or from the call to justice. Listen to the address. Read the address in PDF.

A Threefold Cord is Not Quickly Broken

Amy Plantinga Pauw
Henry P. Mobley Professor of Doctrinal Theology

December 4, 2009
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Ecclesiastes’ message of human solidarity is an appropriate word for World AIDS Day. It reminds us of God the Creator’s generous grace and of our calling as Christians to a distinctively creaturely faithfulness. Listen to the sermon. Read the sermon in PDF.

Directives, Collectives, and Adaptives in a Changing World

David R. Sawyer
Professor of Ministry
Director of Lifelong Learning and Advanced Degrees

November 13, 2009
Nehemiah 13:15-20
Mark 1:39
Sirach 38 :34b-39:3

Sawyer looks at the present reality of Louisville Seminary in the light of the post-exilic period of the era of Ezra and Nehemiah, finding two different groups, world views, theological positions, and educational models. One group he calls the “Directives,” who hold responsibility and control for the seminary’s life; the second group are the “Collectives” who see the seminary as a free sharing of knowledge and power. He suggests we need to seek a third way, which he calls “Adaptive” which responds to change and loss with experiments, new discoveries and adjustments. He hopes to start a conversation about these differences in the community. Listen to the sermon. Read the sermon in PDF.

Psalm 65--World Communion

J. Bradley Wigger
Second Presbyterian Church Professor of Christian Education

October 22, 2009
Psalm 65

Biblical texts and geological texts differ in many ways but both have a way of rearranging our minds, shifting our sense of time and place if not our sense of home and community. When it comes to the world community, the communion of creation, there is of course a lot of work to be done, a lot of rearranging to do. Borders and boundaries are configured in terrible ways and the earth’s thermostat is out of whack. Our proclivities and transgressions overwhelm us. Listen to the sermon. Read the sermon in PDF.

Reflections on 9-11

Cláudio Carvalhaes
Assistant Professor of Worship and Preaching

September 11, 2009

Professor Carvalhaes reflects on the changes in the world caused by the events of September 11, 2001. Listen to the sermon.

Grace as the Wiggle Room in Our Relationship

We continue our sermon series by graduated seniors who volunteered their senior chapel sermons for this blog. This sermon is from Lisa Hermann,Presbyterian.

Originally preached on November 4, 2008

Romans 5

What role does grace play in building community with others? Read the sermon in PDF.

Focus. Relinquish. Love

Susan R. Garrett
Professor of New Testament

September 12, 2008
Proverbs 8:22-36
Philippians 2:5-11

Paul’s letter reminds us to put aside discord and work together to focus on the mission of the church. Read the sermon in PDF. (We are sorry to not have the audio version available for this sermon. There was an equipment malfunction that prevented the recording.)