Rev. Timothy J. Ensworth
A house divided against itself (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Mark 3:20-30, 4:35-41
January 21, 2018
I am distressed.
Last Monday, Jorge Garcia was deported to Mexico. Jorge is thirty-nine years old, married with a fifteen-year-old daughter and a twelve-year-old son. He was brought to the United States as a child thirty years ago by an undocumented relative. … Continue reading ...
Your kingdom come (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Isaiah 58:1-9
February 9, 2014
All too often we are simply not on the same page — us and God. You think?
But I am not now thinking primarily of “us” in the general sense, of humanity as a whole going its own merry way, in spite of God or even to spite God. … Continue reading ...
Finding your own way (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Matthew 23:1-12
November 2, 2014
Tuesday is election day. Did you know that? How did you know? You haven’t received any flyers in the mail or seen any political ads on TV, have you?
$60,000,000 has been spent on a single race in Iowa, the contest between Bruce Braley and Joni Ernst for the senate seat vacated by Tom Harkin. … Continue reading ...
Love is happy with the truth (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Matthew 7:13-14
February 5, 2017
So, what is it that is on everybody’s mind today? I’ll give you a hint. It’s not a football game.
I am used to over-the-top Super Bowl hype, all Super Bowl, all the time, news coverage of every little detail. What is Tom Brady eating for breakfast on the big day?… Continue reading ...
One (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Luke 15:1-10
September 11, 2016
(Play video: images from September 11-12, 2001, set to Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings; link = https://sermons.believersjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/adagio.mp4)
That brings back a host of feelings, doesn’t it?
Fifteen years ago today, our world changed. Fifteen years ago today, we changed. For the better? Did we change for the better? … Continue reading ...
First things first (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Luke 16:1-13
September 18, 2016
They say that there are three subjects you should never talk about in polite company: religion, politics, and money. So, having noted that, today we are going to talk about all three!
We are going to talk about religion because that’s what we do here. … Continue reading ...
Open the gate! (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Luke 16:19-31
September 25, 2016
Audio excerpt from Clarence Jordan, “The Rich Man and Lazarus”
(http://www.believersjournal.org/sermons/wp-content/uploads/ClarenceJordan.mov)
πλουσιος (plousios) and πτωχος (ptochos) … rich man and beggar … one they party with and one they spit on … one clothed in the finest fabrics and latest styles and one clothed in sores … one feasting sumptuously — sumptuously!… Continue reading ...
Ordinary servants (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Luke 17:5-10
October 2, 2016
I want you to focus your minds. I want you to put aside all distractions. I want you to summon all your strength, all your willpower, all your determination. I want you to pour your heart and soul into this, and I want you to strive … to be ordinary!… Continue reading ...
Never give up! (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Luke 18:1-8
October 16, 2016
The top ten signs that you have given up …
Number 10: You turned off the TV after the eighth inning of last Tuesday night’s Cubs game.
Number 9: You watched Monday Night Football instead of the first presidential debate.
Number 8. Since the second debate, you have been searching online for houses … in Canada.… Continue reading ...
Despicable me (Click on the sermon title for a .pdf copy)
Luke 18:9-14
October 23, 2016
This painting was done by Domenico Ghirlandaio in the late fifteenth century. It is one of three paintings I have used in confirmation classes as visual aids for a discussion about the meaning of Jesus’ incarnation. The other two are shown below:
These are three very different paintings, all of which I like, for different reasons. … Continue reading ...