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Proper 12 (A) Kingdom Building

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Proper 12 (A) Kingdom Building July 27, 2008 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell I grew up in Winnetka, Illinois . “Winnetka” was the Indian word for “beautiful land.” Winnetka is located on the shores of Lake Michigan and it truly is a wonderful place to live. If you were a kid growing up in Winnetka, you could consider yourself fortunate indeed! I was a member of the Christ Church Winnetka Men and Boys’ Choir . Over the fourteen years of membership in that choir, I heard a lot of sermons. The one text that really troubled me was our Lord saying, “If your enemy strikes you on the cheek, turn the other cheek.” That, I thought to myself, would be a very hard, dumb thing to do. That is not how things work in the real world. However, as it turns out, turning the other cheek would be easy compared to additional expectations for citizenship in God’s Kingdom . Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.” What kind of love was that? As our Lord lived it, it would be a forgiving, understanding,...
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Proper 11 (A) God Gets the Last Word!

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Proper 11 (A) God Gets the Last Word! July 21, 1996 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell People have told me that when they attend a funeral they have sometimes wondered if they were at the right church. They hear the minister recount a list of the deceased’s praiseworthy attributes, none of which seem to match their experience of the departed. Having been the minister at many funerals for people I have never met, I hope you would agree that the minister is on-the-spot. It would be inexcusable to make the eulogy sound like headlines from the National Enquirer with no chance for rebuttal. The truth is, we see life only in parts. We can never know the entire person. You don’t know all there is to know about me (thank God), and I don’t know all there is to know about you (thank God). It is possible that someone we think of as a saint is…. through the eyes of another…. A despicable scumball! Carl Jung wrote: “The brighter the halo the smellier the feet.” As one bishop explained to me, “You can only...
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Proper 10 (A) We Never Know

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Proper 10 (A) We Never Know July 14, 2002 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell What I am holding in my hand, I learned as a young boy to call a “ lucky stone .” It was one of the many special rewards of some serious beachcombing on the shores of Lake Michigan in Winnetka, Illinois. I still think they’re pretty neat. Not long ago Margaret and I found this one on the Oregon coast. I see it as one of Mother Nature’s works of art. The result of many years, decades, centuries (who knows how long) of the eroding effects of the friction of sand and water. I offer it today as a symbol; not of luck, but of perseverance . Action: Put the red ribbon through the hole of the stone—then hang it around my neck. If there is any luck in this “lucky stone” it would be the luck of finding it in time to use it as a sermon illustration. The way I see it, my chances of good fortune were about the same as anyone else walking the beach. Admittedly, I may have a more practiced eye. I’ve never had much faith in luck. ...
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Proper 9 (A) – Involved in Christ’s Perfection

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  Proper 9 (A) – Involved in Christ’s Perfection July 5, 1987 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell I think that some of you have heard me say that in Martin Luther ’s opinion the Epistle to the Romans is the clearest Gospel of them all. Paul not only presents the Good News of God’s love, he tells us how we may apply it to our lives. You may have noticed that the Sunday Year A lectionary has the whole Church on a course study of Romans, running from June 1 through the middle of September. In today’s reading, Paul explains how we are liberated from our congenital, self-centered, sinful nature . Paul understood our frustration very well. He knew what was wrong, and the last thing he wanted was to do it (what was wrong); yet, somehow, he did. In another place Paul speaks for all of us when he writes: The things I say I do not want to do... I do. And the things I know I should do... I don’t. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this certain crash course that I am on? That all of us ...
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Proper 7 (A) – The Enormous Responsibility, Opportunity, and Joy of Parenthood

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Proper 7 (A) – The Enormous Responsibility, Opportunity, and Joy of Parenthood June 21, 1981 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell Today is Father's Day , and because we deviated from the assigned propers on Mother's Day, I felt it would only be fair to do the same on the day set aside on the secular calendar to celebrate dads. I offer this sermon to the glory of God and dedicate it to our four children: Kathy (married and living in Ketchikan, Alaska ), Debbie (taking care of St. Paul's little people around the corner), Martha, and David (right now sitting on their pea combines working harvest). Side note: That was where we were in 1981. I say this not to bemoan the fact that none of our children are present to hear my Father's Day sermon, but to illustrate that all too quickly there comes the time when our children want to go their own way. Pray God help us all celebrate our families while we are together. Each age is special—from "Mr. Campbell, you are the father of a bab...
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Proper 8 (A) Now That’s What I Call Religion!

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Proper 8 (Year A) Now That's What I Call Religion! July 2, 2017 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell Today's short reading from Matthew's Gospel ends on a positive note: "Truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward." Even giving a cup of cold water to someone who is thirsty makes you an apprentice of Jesus Christ. The dictionary defines reward as "a return made for something done." For example: Her hard work and positive attitude were rewarded with a promotion. His laziness and constant complaining were rewarded with his dismissal. Jesus was always urging His disciples to reach out in the name of love. It doesn't matter whether those you are reaching out to are important leaders or the poor and powerless—simply reach out in love. And, Jesus would add, reaching out doesn't require a capital fund drive. A cup of cold water will convey love's message: You are welcome here. Our son Dave, as the director of a church camp, goes a step beyond a cu...
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Proper 6 (C) Did You Enjoy it?

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Proper 6 (C) Did You Enjoy it? July 2, 1995 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell I have a Jewish friend in Walla Walla who believes that in the last analysis God will judge us according to our deeds. If our constructive good deeds outweigh our destructive evil deeds, we can expect that God will have us.  I have known many people who think of themselves as Christians who believe the same thing. Their aim is to make themselves right with God by their own actions. We have to jump through all the hoops we think that God has put in front of us. (We do it out of pride). There are two major problems with this approach; 1) It doesn’t work. 2) It hammers the joy out of living.  There are only three options open to those who believe the must achieve perfection by keeping God’s laws;      1) Option one, they are honest enough to admit their human frailties and stay away.       Example) My Dad used to say that the reason he didn’t go to church was because the ro...
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