Ernest F. Campbell Selected Sermons

  Epiphany 3 (A) Fishing With the Lord January 24, 1999 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell They say that numbers don’t lie; which is probably why the National Episcopal Church asks all it’s parishes and missions to annually report a bunch of numbers. How many baptisms , confirmations , transfers (in and out), total membership this year compared to last, etc. Plus, a lot of numbers pertaining to our financial status. All these numbers are presented on something called the Parochial Report . All the Parochial Reports are then collected by the Diocese and sent on to the National Headquarters . The reports are due by February 1st. I can assure you that their arrival in the mail does not evoke wild cheering from the parish secretary.  All the national church knows about St. Paul’s is expressed in numbers! From my years of experience, the most telling number on the report asks for the “ Average Sunday Attendance .” The total number of weekend worshipers divided by 52. I believe that is ...

  Epiphany 2 (A) The True Light January 15, 1984 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell Jesus Christ was born into a dark, destructive world. we celebrate His birth at the darkest time of the year. In John’s Gospel we read that Jesus was born into that darkness to be the true light to every man and woman. The light of Christ shines in the darkness of our trouble and fear. The way of a Christian is learning to trust that light, and to allow that light to be reflected in and through our own lives so that others will be led from darkness into the true light of Jesus Christ.  True Light : A climate that inspires being and sharing God’s best in all of us. The theme of the Epiphany season concentrates on how Jesus demonstrated His divine power , and on how we as His disciples can be His ambassadors in the special parts of the world in which we live and move and have our being. Because none of us in ourselves has any claim on divine wisdom or divine power it is imperative that we keep our...

  Epiphany I (A) Claimed by God January 9, 2011 By Rev.  Ernest F. Campbell In today’s Gospel as Jesus comes up out of the water He is claimed by God as His beloved son. “This is my son, the Beloved , with whom I am well pleased.” To my way of thinking that one-sentence, verbal embrace, becomes the rock-solid foundation for Jesus’ life and ministry. Knowing whose you are, makes wherever you are a place of faith and hope.  One simple illustration will explain what I mean. When our son Dave was a little boy, he was driven by the spirit of adventure. When we took him along on our shopping trips, Dave would see the display racks of clothing as an intriguing jungle of high-adventure, just begging to be explored. In our defense, after three girls, we were still discovering that boys are different. With Dave it was a steep learning curve. I should also tell you that Dave was quick and stealthy. He could disappear from our side into the jungle-of-clothing-racks faster than Marg...

  Christmas 2 A “Will-Power” Worship January 4, 1981 By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell I am going to suggest that there are three ways to approach 1981; the right way , the wrong way , and the Gospel way . If we choose to follow the right way , we will; follow the rules, discipline ourselves and lead a good life. If we choose the wrong way , we will be; ship-shod, lukewarm, half-hearted, and indifferent. We have all (no doubt) lived with both options. On the many camping trips I have taken, I have observed people who prided themselves in how much they could contribute, and people who prided themselves in how much they could avoid contributing.  The right way and the wrong way have this in common; they depend on what man can or ought to do.  A third way, the Gospel way, is different! The Gospel way depends on what God can do. A work done the Gospel way is a work which is initiated and energized by God. the “right way” and the “wrong way” depend on men, the Gospel way depend...