The God Article

Sermon on the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), as delivered by Rev. Mark Sandlin at Vandalia Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, NC on July 14, 2013.

Why am I not going to church? Because a great deal of the people with whom I'd like to figure out how to be in ministry don't. They're not heathen. They're not un-spiritual. They're – well, just like me, except they have Sunday's off. This is my hope for the next three months: I want to understand what it is that the “spiritual but not religious” like about not being in church AND I want to understand what I, a life long churchgoer, miss about not being in church. I'm also hoping that YOU will be in dialogue with me about this.

A new take on a classic children's Bible story that really shouldn't be for children. "It must have been horrifying as the rest of the world came to grip with the reality of what was happening. The floodgates had open. God had shut them out. “Crazy old Noah” wasn’t looking so crazy any more. Can you imagine sitting on the inside of the boat and doing nothing? The horrific scream of friends and neighbors, the crackling of fingernails bending back on end trying to pry into the one place of refuge in the chaos of the world. Can you imagine sitting on the inside of the boat and doing nothing? I can’t."

A sermon based on Acts 10:44-48 “I now KNOW that God shows no partiality.” That's the summary sentence for Peter's journey here in Acts and today's scripture reading is the direct result of it. God's love knows no boundaries. Gods love knows no limits. God's love knows no color – no sex – no age – no sexual orientation – no nationality – no religion. God's love has no partiality.

Based on 1 John 3:11-24. "How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need yet refuses help?" That kind of gets right to the point doesn't it?

Today is my birthday and this is my wish...

The idea behind Lent is to take a look at our lives, to do an honest assessment of our journey to/toward/with God and to repent of the things that are distancing us from God – to turn away from those things. Considering how many things we have in our lives today, the distractions, the obstacles, that get between us and our ability to follow the teachings of Jesus, I just can't help but think that Lent may actually be more needed now than it has ever been. But I also have to say, I dread THAT question. You know the one. It pops up about this time every year. Say it with me, “What did you give up for Lent?” Ugghh.

A message based on Mark 1:21-28 There is no doubt that we are called to help others live unbound lives, free from the demons which limit them, but we must not be so arrogant or blind as to think that we have no such demons in our lives.

WHY did Jesus ask them to follow? To create community. A community that follows - is on the move, not stagnate. In a world of “spiritual but not religious,” in a world where so many consider themselves Christian, but not “church-goers,” I can think of few things more important than creating a genuine community that does not allow the expectations of the Institutionalized Church to bog us down and cause us to lose focus on the One we follow. Because when we do it, it will change everything.

You see, God has plans for you. God has told you what is right, to seek justice, to practice kindness and to walk humbly with God. That – that is your prophetic calling. That – that is the discipline of the priesthood of royal believers. That – that is God calling out to you in the dark night of oppression, discrimination and marginalization which still happens in our great nation.

I'm a PROPHET!!! Woo hoo! And there was much celebration and general-merrymaking. Actually, the Google search was for “false prophet mark sandlin.” But still. Prophet – woo hoo? And there was mild joviality and arbitrary-frolicking. Like I said, if you can't attack the message, attack the messenger. So, someone doesn't like what I say, or doesn't want to grapple with whether or not it is actually biblical, or whatever – so they Google “false prophet mark sandlin.”  So, now that's a thing. Google databases have me and “false profit” forever linked. And I just don't care.

Thank goodness we have Cowboy Jesus! According to Pastor Mark Driscoll, it's all thanks to Cowboy Jesus that God can even stand to peek out of the corner of His divine eye to spy us at all.

A New Year's Day message based on Colossians 3:12-17. After the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future have each paid Ebeneezer Scrooge a visit, Scrooge makes this vow, “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." In moving from Christmas, which we celebrated last Sunday, to New Year's this Sunday, I think that Scrooges' pledge is very apropos for us to consider today.

My Christmas Eve homily based on Isaiah 9:2-7. "At Christmas love came down. Emanuel. Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. The world was graced with Christmas Light, a light that walked among us and told us to spread that light unto the ends of the Earth. And therein lies the secret of Christmas that we all too frequently overlook the rest of the year."

"Bringing light, bringing hope, into the dark horizons of this land is not simply good because one less person is suffering in the darkness of a life on the margins of society, it is good because it brings society one step closer to the bright future God intends for us all." A reflection of=n the words from Isaiah, ""The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined."