Ernest F. Campbell Selected Sermons

  Proper 13 C Rich Toward God July 31, 1983 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell In today’s Gospel, Luke is continuing his teaching on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ . What does it mean to enjoy life? What would it take to make our lives a celebration? If Jesus came in order that we might have abundant life -- which way must we turn in order to experience the peace of living in the will of God? It must have been obvious to Jesus (just as it is obvious to us today) to see the various ways we try to make our lives meaningful and worthwhile. Mankind is on a universal quest for peace – a life-time warranty with satisfaction guaranteed. The author of Ecclesiastes is no doubt representative in his efforts to discover “ The Good Life ” amid life’s perpetual struggle. First, he looked for the good life in learning. Nothing must be a closed book to him. He must know everything. He wanted to be the wisest man in the world, the most knowledgeable, the most cultured. He aimed at being...

  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...

  Proper 9 C Go as You Are July 8, 2007 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell In today’s Gospel Our Lord sends out 35 teams to every town and city that He intended to visit himself. His instructions to this group are short, and neat. They are to be themselves. They are to simply let God happen through them to others. To enter people’s lives and “let God happen” on behalf of anyone willing to show them hospitality….and who are willing to listen.  Go, go as you are. Just……go! Greet everyone with God’s shalom. Be yourselves and see what happens. Jesus must be kidding…. Right? If this plan to make people aware of the positive difference God’s love makes in people’s lives…. if this low-budget mission sounds naively idealistic, it’s because it is! We all know that if you hope to have any success with evangelism, you have to start with a mission statement. This of course will mean committee meetings, setting a budget, recruiting, and training personal and then establishing a support system to ...