Preachrblog

Today we begin a midweek Lenten sermon series focusing on the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ .   Now, we have 5 midweek  Wednesdays , and together with Holy Thursday, that gives us  6 weeks  to cover the 12, two on each occasion .   We will pair them up as naturally as possible,  beginning with Peter and his brother Andrew this evening.   We will briefly touch on each  disciple, but  then move on to how the lives of the 12 draw us closer to Christ and his passion, his work for us , and especially his suffering and death .     So   let’s  get to it .     Even though  Andrew holds the distinction of being the first of the apostles. ..  we will come back to him .       Peter, the chief Apostle,  is  always mentioned first when they are listed by the Evangelists.  And  of course  most of us  probably know  Peter the best, of  all the  1...

The Christian faith is full of paradoxes.  The readings for this Ash Wednesday bring some of these to our attention.  Perhaps  a short summary  of all our readings is this:  God does not judge by outward appearances, as man does.  But rather, he looks at the heart.  He sees the true reality of the situation, which often looks quite opposite to what we see.   Take Paul, for instance, who writes about his ministry and all the hardships and turmoil he faced:  “ afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; ”  To all outward appearances Paul was a failure, a reproach, rejected by God and man alike.     And yet, through all these things,  in spite of  all these things, in fact, using these very hardships and troubles, God  accomplished   great things  through Paul .   Many would come to faith .   Churches were planted and thrive...