We had a pretty good Sunday at Faith Lutheran in Bristol, Tennessee. My sermon focused more on Saint Francis, whose feast day was yesterday, than on any of the readings, but my sermon did circle back to the Gospel at key points. I focused on rejected stones becoming the chief cornerstone.
I always think about myself when I was a parishioner--would I have liked the sermon I preached or would it leave me yearning for something deeper. I would have liked it. I do realize that not everyone would like a sermon steeped in history, so I don't do that week after week. But from a pastoral point of view, I think it's important to remember that we are part of a Christian tradition that stretches back across centuries. I always try to talk about how the traditions still have relevance for us today--an easy task with St. Francis.
You can watch a recording of my sermon here on my YouTube channel; if you'd like to read along, I put the manuscript in this blog post.
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