Ernest F. Campbell Selected Sermons

  Proper 21 C God Gives to Us September 25, 1983 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell The rich man in today’s Gospel is presented as a figure of indolent self-indulgence. He is contrasted with a beggar named Lazarus who daily lay at the rich man’s gate; hungry, covered in sores and so helpless that he could not even ward off the street dogs which pestered him. In telling this parable, Jesus leaves absolutely no room to rationalize away the poor man’s desperate need, and the rich man’s blind indifference. If we are tempted to think that the beggar was putting on some kind of “act” to cover the fact that he was a lazy good-for-nothing, it would be difficult to overlook the ulcerated sores and his humiliating vulnerability to dogs cruising the town for garbage. If we are tempted to think that the rich man was suffering guilt or any emotional upset over the beggars’ plight, it would be hard to explain how he could step over the starving man at his gate and then sit down to a sumptuous feast…. ...

  Proper 20 C Godly Creativity September 24, 1995 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell I wonder how often it has been said that “If convicts put as much creative energy towards legitimate ends as they do towards selfish and criminal ends, they would win the admiration of society.” If they turned their (what feels like) 36-hour days, 12-day weeks, and 18-month years from thoughts of how to mess with the system to how to earn an honest living, they would be millionaires and we would be working for them. I have a theory. If it’s true that we are created in God’s image then we share God’s creativity. Everyone is by nature creative…. and we are all going to use our creativity either con structively or de structively.  In today’s Gospel, Our Lord tells a story that in effect says, you have to admire the creativity of the dishonest steward for dealing with his desperate situation so creatively. Our Lord is a master storyteller. And here He teaches a basic truth by using a bad example. If we ...

  Proper 19 C Search and Rescue September 14, 1986 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell It should be comforting to know that 95% of the people who get lost are found within 72 hours. If you didn’t know that I’m glad you do now because if you are lost, staying calm and having hope are two of the vital ingredients in being found…. alive…. when you are found. It should also be comforting to know that in this State (Washington), and all across the country, there are trained persons who have volunteered to be on call to participate in a search and rescue operation . Their dedication to these missions does not stop when the going gets tough. Even though they make every effort to avoid taking foolish risks, there are times when they know that their own lives are in jeopardy. So, if you should ever get lost, DON’T GIVE UP HOPE ! A group of highly trained and dedicated persons are out looking for you and statistics are betting they will find you within 72 hours. You may be wondering how I got on the ...

  Proper 18 C Off to the Fair September 9, 2001 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell There is something “upbeat” about the fall season. Even the slight dip in temperature is a welcome and invigorating change. I find my pace quickened. Fall is the season of new beginnings. Last week, at the County Fair , I did my usual Rotary Club security watch at Gate #2. In a four-hour period, I counted over a thousand fair goers, mostly children, eagerly anticipating another fair “adventure.” The kids, tugging at parents, could hardly wait to climb abord the beckoning carnival rides. Older and sometimes wiser Fair goers know that between the gate and their favorite exhibits are many enticing distractions. It takes discipline to stay on course. Many years ago, while Margaret and I were attending the Minnesota State Fair , we stopped to watch a man demonstrating a “nifty-spiffy” vegetable slicer. He quickly and easily made stacks of neat, uniform slices of tomatoes. All the while hypnotizing the small crow...