MAC KIRK

Making of Sermons Rogation Sunday, 5th S. after Easter I had the privilege of talking with a gentleman in California when I was there who used to discuss things with me in the retirement home where my Dad was living. I found out later I could never win an argument /discussion as he always seemed to have an answer. I found out later he was the retired head of the Rhetoric dept and debate at Stanford Univ. No wonder. After several visits out there to see Dad we became friends and still discussed but I was more prepared knowing who he was . He wrote a book recently on " The Rhetoric of the Pulpit" by Dr. Jon Ericson, and dedicated it to me along with several others who had read his mss and assisted in that way. One of the things he says in his book which I rather like is " There are numerous wrong ideas about preaching...point 1-the pastor needs to come up with a great sermon every Sunday." Instead he says, " rather present your sermon. You are a part...

You can't rush What can I do? Most of us from time to time get frustrated with the pace of things. I did the other day when we had so much rain and a certain section of the lawn on Ridge Grove RD in the valley so to speak grew when I was away. It was so big I had to try anything to get the lawn mower over it. I tried to raise the wheels on the lawnmower and the levers were stuck. I tried going backwards for a while and that seemed to help, but the grass underneath was so deep , it was wet, and the lawnmower eventually got stuck. Re-starting it was a wait...It had to dry out. Well, I did this on Tuesday of last week, and then it rained again. Then I did it again on Friday afternoon, but it was still wet underneath. Eventually I will get the valley mowed (when it dries out in time), and we will look back to a somewhat normal. Yes, there is a lot of things I would like to rush. I would like to fast forward sometimes and see what life will look like 20 years from now,...

3 after Easter. This is more of a meditative message that is topical on the subject of what our Easter Christian lives can look like instead of just going with the the world in their habits of anger, unforgiveness, lust, desire for more ( money) & conflict. It seems whenever we gather that the Church can either be part of the problem or part of the solution. Of course we should be applying the golden rule in our relationships whomever they are with. ( This should certainly include those who do not attend the parish, or any church, or reject the teachings of Christ altogether )---Matthew 7:12 and I must confess after looking for it in the NT, I could not find it until I googled it! " All things, therefore as many as if you might desire that should do to you the men so also you do to them. This indeed is the law and the prophets." Greek translation literally . Of course the world says it differently, do unto others before they do it to you. Or he who has the g...

Easter Living I Timothy 6 This lesson was one of the mp (morning prayer) readings this week, and as the Gospel proclaims the risen Christ , truly living now in heaven, seated at the right hand of God, so we look to this history and truth for our lives now, and Christian living is the issue. We who are in the world and part of the church witness to a living Lord , and we do this by our faith and in its practice in the moments and days of our lives. This is the whole point, is it not? For these are doctrines not just of the head, but they are of the heart as well, and that is that where the rubber meets the road , in our living. I have often hummed this hymn : " Because He Lives" God sent his son They called him Jesus He came to love Heal and forgive He lived and died To buy my pardon An empty grave Is there to prove My Savior lives (Chorus) Because he lives I can face tomorrow Because he lives All fear is gone Because I know He holds the future ...