Sheep Without A Shepherd

A sermon for the eighth Sunday after Pentecost given at the United Church of Acworth, Acworth, NH on July 22, 2012.

Mark 6:30-44

In the movie What About Bob?, Dr. Leo Marvin, a popular and published and egotistical psychiatrist from New York City, takes his wife and family to a peaceful New Hampshire lakeside cottage for a month-long vacation.
His patient, Bob, is unable to handle a month without seeing Dr. Marvin.  He tricks the staff at Dr. Marvin’s office into giving him the address of his vacation home and makes his way up to Lake Winnipesaukee.  He gets off the bus at the station in the town where Dr. Marvin is staying and immediately begins yelling as loud as he can in the parking lot, “Dr.  Leo.  Marvin!”
It just so happens that Dr. Marvin is with his family in the village store adjacent to the bus stop and as they are leaving he hears his name being called.  

The Gospel Free From Baggage

A sermon for the seventh Sunday after Pentecost given at the United Church of Acworth, Acworth, NH on July 15, 2012.


Mark 6:6b-29



tell the Gates Mountain -- pack mule Joel story
sometimes we are so prepared we look foolish.  and our backs pay for it.
last week the gospel reading told the story of how Jesus sent his disciples out on their first mission.  and since today’s focus in our Faith and Covenant is mission I think it’s worth looking again at that passage.one of the things we immediately notice is that the disciples were not sent out as pack-mules for the gospel.
they traveled light.  very light.  only a staff.
“He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.”
this sounds like a good reality TV show -- right?  a kind of amazing race.
To get everyone on the same page, Amazing Race is a reality TV show