Listen to Readings and Sermon 7For thus says the Lord: Sing aloud with gladness… and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise… 8See, I am going to… gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; [...]
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7For thus says the Lord: Sing aloud with gladness… and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise… 8See, I am going to… gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here. 9With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a [direct] path in which they shall not stumble…
Audio readings and sermon (http://sunshinecathedral.org/sermons/audio/20091025_6.mp3)
YAHOO.util.Event.onDOMReady(function() { YAHOO.sunshine.setBtn(“20091025_1″); }); Listen to Readings and Sermon The Good News Written The Light of the Dhammapada “What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind.” The light of Malinda Elliott Cramer and Fannie Brooks James [...]
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The Good News Written
The Light of the Dhammapada
“What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind.”
The light of Malinda Elliott Cramer and Fannie Brooks James (from Divine Science: Its Principle & Practice)
“Being whole must be our realization. We unfold health eternal. The individual, as an expression of the universal Life, can be only what that Life is. The Infinite created us out of its own health; healing is the awareness of that health as our nature.”
Mark 10.46-52 (NRSV)
As [Jesus] and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus…, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” 50So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” 52Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
The Good News Proclaimed
Preached by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins at the Sunshine Cathedral on Sunday, October 25, 2009.
Let me take you to the mid-sixties. Baby Durrell takes up residence on the planet in late 1966, exactly 9 months after Sophie Tucker dies… I’m just saying. And I don’t know what my first word was or when I spoke it, when I was potty trained or when I took my first step. But I do know the first song I ever learned. My parents taught it to me, and by age 3 or 4, I was entertaining them and other relatives with it. I didn’t know exactly what it meant, but it was the only song I knew… and so I sang it over and over and over. It wasn’t Mary Had a Little Lamb, and it wasn’t the Alphabet song… it was from a Broadway musical. Yes, as God as my witness, the first song I ever learned was a show-tune. And now you know the rest of the story.
So just imagine if you will, Toddler Durrell singing sweetly, “When the moon is in the Seventh House and Jupiter aligns with Mars; then peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars. This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius, the age of Aquarius. Aquarius! Aquarius!” Continue reading »
Listen to Readings and Sermon Let us… approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Audio readings and sermon (http://sunshinecathedral.org/sermons/audio/20091018_6.mp3)
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Let us… approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Audio readings and sermon (http://sunshinecathedral.org/sermons/audio/20091018_6.mp3)
YAHOO.util.Event.onDOMReady(function() { YAHOO.sunshine.setBtn(“20091018_2″); }); Listen to Readings and Sermon The Good News Written The Light of the Tao te Ching “The Master never reaches for the great; thus she achieves greatness. When she runs into a difficulty, she stops and gives herself to it. She doesn’t cling to her own comfort; thus problems are no [...]
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The Good News Written
The Light of the Tao te Ching
“The Master never reaches for the great; thus she achieves greatness. When she runs into a difficulty, she stops and gives herself to it. She doesn’t cling to her own comfort; thus problems are no problem for her.”
Mark 10.42-45 (The Inclusive Bible, PFE)
“Jesus [called his disciples] together and said, ‘You know how among the Gentiles those who exercise authority are domineering and arrogant; those great ones know how to make their own importance felt. But it can’t be like that with you. Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest; whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all. The Promised One has come not to be served, but to serve…’ ”
The Good News Proclaimed
Preached by the Reverend Michael A. Diaz in the second service at the Sunshine Cathedral on Sunday, October 18, 2009.
In Mark 10.35-37, James and John discreetly approach Jesus and pull him aside for a private, pastoral conversation (Private because they don’t want the other disciples to know about their hidden agenda and pastoral because they themselves need to be assured that they’re not part of Jesus’ movement for nothing — they want their share of the coming kingdom). “We want you to do us a favor,” they ask Jesus. “In your glorious kingdom, we want to sit in places of honor next to you Jesus, one at your right and the other at your left.” Now, to many of us this may not seem like an unreasonable request. After all, James and John have putting in the work, canvassing and organizing all over Galilee trying to help Jesus expand his movement of justice and good news. Doesn’t all this hard work deserve a great reward? They have been putting their lives at risk by encouraging non-violent resistance of Rome and the powerful social structure that was keeping all its subjects in fear. They’ve sown some good seeds and simply want to reap a good harvest, right? James and John were doing all that Jesus had asked them to do and all their hard work was beginning to pay off. Common people were beginning to experience healing and wholeness in their lives. James and John were doing a good job. We would call them ambitious, go-getters, and upper-management material. Everything they put their hands to, it prospered. The consciousness of people they touched was expanding to the point where their stagnant faith began to move from a dreadful state of pessimism to a hopeful outlook of optimism. James and John knew this and saw that this movement of theirs was sparking revival and was soon to overtake society like never before. It had the potential to topple the oppressive Roman Empire and when it did, they wanted their share. They wanted Jesus to do them a favor. They didn’t want to be King or President of this new Kingdom and possibly infringe on Jesus’ role. No, they just wanted to be Vice-Presidents.
Well, like many supposed confidential conversations today, their private discussion with Jesus is soon leaked to the press. And when the other disciples hear about the alleged power-grab, they are immediately infuriated, indignant that James and John would shamelessly jockey for future leadership positions. Jesus then diffuses the problematic situation by turning it into an opportunity to explain how true leaders serve the needs of all, not just one’s own need for importance. Continue reading »
YAHOO.util.Event.onDOMReady(function() { YAHOO.sunshine.setBtn(“20091018_1″); }); Listen to Readings and Sermon The Good News Written The Light of the Tao te Ching “The Master never reaches for the great; thus she achieves greatness. When she runs into a difficulty, she stops and gives herself to it. She doesn’t cling to her own comfort; thus problems are no [...]
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The Good News Written
The Light of the Tao te Ching
“The Master never reaches for the great; thus she achieves greatness. When she runs into a difficulty, she stops and gives herself to it. She doesn’t cling to her own comfort; thus problems are no problem for her.”
Mark 10.42-45 (The Inclusive Bible, PFE)
“Jesus [called his disciples] together and said, ‘You know how among the Gentiles those who exercise authority are domineering and arrogant; those great ones know how to make their own importance felt. But it can’t be like that with you. Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest; whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all. The Promised One has come not to be served, but to serve…’ ”
The Good News Proclaimed
Preached by the Reverend Robert L. Griffin at the Sunshine Cathedral in the first service on Sunday, October 18, 2009.
Our gospel reading today places us at the end of a conversation that Jesus was having with his disciples.
Jesus and his disciples are on the road on their way to Jerusalem. The road is crowded with folks all making their way up to the city for Passover; en-route, Jesus tells his disciples what he expects will happen to him once they arrive in Jerusalem.
Mark tells us in chapter 10:33 that Jesus is quoted as having said; “We are going up to Jerusalem, and there I will be will be handed over and condemned to death.” Despite knowing what Jesus had told them, Jesus’ disciples and others followed along anyway. Three times Jesus explained that he was going to suffer many things, and be killed and on each telling they failed to understand what he was saying to them. Continue reading »
Listen to Readings and Sermon 14Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. 15Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate… Audio readings and sermon (http://sunshinecathedral.org/sermons/audio/20091011_6.mp3)
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14Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. 15Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate…
Audio readings and sermon (http://sunshinecathedral.org/sermons/audio/20091011_6.mp3)
YAHOO.util.Event.onDOMReady(function() { YAHOO.sunshine.setBtn(“20091011_1″); }); Listen to Readings and Sermon The Good News Written Amos 5.14-15a (NRSV) 14Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. 15Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate… The Light [...]
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The Good News Written
Amos 5.14-15a (NRSV)
14Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. 15Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate…
The Light of H. Emilie Cady
“Did Jesus ever tell anyone that it was God’s will for him or her to suffer lack or be sick or be a failure in any way? If any such vision of God’s will is in your mind, rise up instantly, and in the name of Christ, put it forever out of your thoughts as unworthy of a loving Parent, and doubly unworthy of yourself, God’s offspring. When any of these things come upon you, arise at once and claim your rightful inheritance.”
Mark 10.17-27 (NIV)
17As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good — except God alone. 19You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
20“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the [kin-dom] of God!”
24The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the [kin-dom] of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich [person] to enter the [kin-dom] of God.”
26The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
27Jesus looked at them and said, “…all things are possible with God.”
The Good News Proclaimed
Preached by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins at the Sunshine Cathedral on Sunday, October 11, 2009.
The people of antiquity who wrote plays and songs and poems and parables and myths and letters and sermons and biographies were writing from very particular experiences. Many of those ancient texts were collected into a canon of scripture by councils hundreds and in some cases thousands of years after the texts were first written.
Those early texts sometimes survived as oral traditions before they were written down. And when they were written, they were hand copied. And then those texts were translated, by human scholars, who copied their translated texts by hand. And so on.
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Listen to Readings and Sermon “What is humanity that you should be mindful of us? Who are we that you should care for us? You have made us barely less than God, and crowned us with glory and honor. You have made us responsible for the work of your hands, putting all things at our [...]
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“What is humanity that you should be mindful of us? Who are we that you should care for us? You have made us barely less than God, and crowned us with glory and honor. You have made us responsible for the work of your hands, putting all things at our feet… [O God], our Sovereign, how majestic is your Name in all the earth!”
Audio readings and sermon (http://sunshinecathedral.org/sermons/audio/20091004_6.mp3)
Listen to Readings and Sermon View Readings and Sermon The Good News Written The Light of Kahlil Gibran (from The Prophet) “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you yet they belong [...]
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The Good News Written
The Light of Kahlil Gibran (from The Prophet)
“Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.”
Mark 10.13-16 (NIV)
13People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the [kin-dom] of God belongs to such as these. 15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the [kin-dom] of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
The Good News Proclaimed
Preached by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins at the Sunshine Cathedral on Sunday, October 4, 2009.
Our gospel reading this morning is actually part of a larger conversation. The tenth chapter of Mark’s gospel opens with religious people who liked to antagonize Jesus questioning him about divorce. They were always trying to trip him up about something.
Jesus answers his critics by being for once stricter than the tradition called for. The tradition said that a man could leave his wife by formally divorcing her. Usually, when confronted with scripture texts and religious traditions, Jesus offered a progressive, liberal, inclusive view that challenged the legalistic applications of the tradition. But this time, Jesus’ opinion seems even less flexible than the conservative view.
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