Rev. Timothy J. Ensworth
Lupine (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Isaiah 40:6-8
January 25, 2015
“Comfort my people,” says our God.
“Comfort my people,” says our God. “Comfort them!” This is what God wants for his people. This is what God wants for you. Comfort.
What is the opposite of comfort? Discomfort. Distress.
And what cause distress? Fear.
And what are you afraid of?… Continue reading ...
Have you not known? (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Isaiah 40:12-25
February 1, 2015
Have you not known? Or do you want to plead ignorance? No one ever told me. I wasn’t raised in the church. I haven’t been paying attention. I’ve been busy. I do have my own life to worry about. I didn’t know.
Have you not known? … Continue reading ...
Not one of them is ever missing (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Isaiah 40:25-27
February 8, 2015
Nobody knows the trouble I see …
Is that you?
When you are troubled, when you are distressed, what brings comfort? Probably one of two things — either a change in your situation or a change in you, either a change in the distressing circumstances themselves or a change in perspective. … Continue reading ...
We are going (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Isaiah 40:27-31
February 15, 2015
Are you waiting for something? You’re expecting me to say something, aren’t you? But what if I’m not ready? What if I don’t want to? What if I’m too tired?
Do you know how hard it is? Trying to come up with something to say? … Continue reading ...
My servant (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Isaiah 52:13
February 22, 2015
I am angry, and I am frightened.
I am frightened by ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. You know about the horrible scene on the beach in Libya, where members of ISIS beheaded twenty-one Egyptian Christians. It is appalling, revolting, unbearable, unwatchable. I refuse to watch the video and I quickly swipe past every time a story or photo of the event comes up on the news apps on my phone. … Continue reading ...
They will see and understand something they had never known (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Isaiah 52:14-15
March 1, 2015
There are people in our world right now, rightly or wrongly, drawing inspiration from their holy texts to do unspeakable violence to fellow human beings and to the fabric of human civilization itself. Rightly or wrongly, they are drawing inspiration from their holy texts. … Continue reading ...
Who could have seen the Lord’s hand in this? (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Isaiah 53:1-3
March 8, 2015
We limit not the truth of God to our poor reach of mind,
to notions of our day and place, crude, partial, and confined;
No, let a new and better hope within our hearts be stirred:
O God, grant yet more light and truth to break forth from your Word.… Continue reading ...
More’s the pity (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Isaiah 53:4-5
March 15, 2015
The image on the cover of your bulletin shows a white policeman holding a club standing over the slumped body of an African-American. It is hard to judge from the photo if the limp, presumably beaten, body is that of a man or a woman, but I think it is a woman.… Continue reading ...
It’s not fair (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Isaiah 53:6
March 22, 2015
Life isn’t fair.
The University of Northern Iowa Panther men’s basketball team had a better won/loss record than Iowa State, a higher national ranking, and fared equally well against two common opponents, and yet the NCAA selection committee awarded Iowa State a “No. 3” seed and UNI a “No.… Continue reading ...
What is left unsaid Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Isaiah 53:7-9
March 29, 2015
Words. Lots of words.
Praise God!
God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord!
God bless the king of Israel!
Look! The whole world is following him!
There’s no stopping him.
What are you going to do?
Crucify him! Crucify him!… Continue reading ...