Mercy, Not Sacrifice

An Easy Yoke

In this sermon Fr. Mike emphasizes that while many feel burdened by expectations of perfection and fear of divine judgment, Jesus offers a different way rooted in God’s unconditional love. By embracing this love and living in its reality, followers in the way of Jesus can find transformation, compassion, and true rest for their souls.

Radical Hospitality

Jesus words in Matthew 10:40-42 are all about hospitality. In this sermon we explore the hospitality to which each of us is called and the challenges we face in doing so. How might we live into the radical hospitality of God and overcome the fears that keep us from receiving the rewards of doing so?

A Question of Priorities

In this sermon, Fr. Mike explores Jesus' challenging words about discipleship, fear, and divided loyalties. He reminds us that following Christ means more than admiring his teachings—it means shaping our lives after his example, even when doing so creates tension or discomfort. Jesus calls his followers to place their trust in God above their fears and to make the Kingdom of God their highest priority, even above family ties when conflicts arise. Ultimately, the sermon invites us to embrace courageous, wholehearted discipleship and discover the deeper life and freedom found in following Christ.

An Impossible Mission

With the words “the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few” Jesus sends out his disciples to accomplish what for us would seem to be an all but impossible mission. Cure the sick and cleanse the leper? Maybe. But raise the dead and cast out demons? Not so much. Perhaps the call isn’t so much to perform miracles, but instead to be a source of care and healing in the face of darkness and despair. How might we embrace the vision and the mission the Kingdom of God, so that we bridge the gap between the real and the ideal? That’s the challenge and the hope of both our and the world’s transformation.

Mercy, Not Sacrifice

Set in a series of three acts, Jesus calls a tax collector, heals a woman with hemorrhages, and raises a dead girl. But all of them are framed by his early remarks to the Pharisees, and specifically by his quotation of Hosea: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” The gospel story we address is about insiders and outsiders. It is about power. It is ultimately about mercy. Who are the outsiders of our day and what does it look be about the work of crossing the boundaries that polite society puts up to keep us apart?