Ernest F. Campbell Selected Sermons

  Proper 12 C God Loves Us to the Point of Foolishness July 30, 1989 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell We had a good laugh at our clergy bible study last Tuesday. You may not believe it, but we laugh a lot as we study scripture. (Maybe you think clergy are so hard-up for humor they laugh at the slightest provocation). Anyway, we laughed when our Lord’s disciples asked Him to teach them the pray…. like John the Baptist taught his disciples. Why was that funny to us? Because, it sounded like a “fault” in the Lord’s “ Christian Education Program .” The disciples had been with Jesus for almost three years, but He still hadn’t taught them to pray? I guess we clergy types have all fielded complaints about our Christian Education Program…. compared to some other denominations C.E. program, and our laughter was an expression of relief. Even Our Lord got caught in the “Why aren’t we like them” syndrome.  I think most educators would agree that the best learning takes place when the time is r...

  Proper 11 C What is the One Thing Necessary? July 20, 1986 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell As Christians, what must be our primary concern -- our number one priority? Put simply; we are called to discern and serve the will and purpose of Jesus Christ . At baptism we ask the candidates, “Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?” And we pray, “That God’s Holy Spirit will give us an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, and a spirit to know and to love the Lord ,” in the final analysis, how could anyone claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ if they don’t know what He taught and how He lived? In today’s Gospel lesson about Mary and Martha , Our Lord gently reminds us to give our relationship with Him a high priority. Jesus gently reminds Martha that only one thing is necessary…. To serve the Lord. I could have titled this sermon, “First Things First.” In fact, I titled it, “What is the One Thing Necessary.” Now, b...

  Proper 10 C Good Neighbors July 10, 2016 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell As scripture guides us through the season of Pentecost , we are all learning what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ . In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us how important it is to look for the true worth of another human being. To be honest it’s what I personally admire most about the man Jesus. He met all sorts of people. Some mired down in their destructive way of life, some mired down in self-righteousness. No matter how people presented themselves, Jesus had an uncanny ability to see their God given potential. Then through His persistent, patient love, He coaxed, kidded, and inspired men and women to see in themselves what He saw, then offered His encouragement to live up to it. Isn’t that what every parent, teacher, friend, and leader would want to emulate?  The other thing I love and admire about Jesus was His confidence in people’s hunger for wholeness, and their personal integrity that they wou...