Catching up with sermons and stuff

I thought I would share my first sermon in these new parishes, preached a couple of weeks ago it was something of a nerve racking experience! As always, it starts here and is carried on at New Kid Deep Stuff

2 before Advent (2008) Year A RCL Principal

Risking our Talents


It’s somewhat nerve racking to be preaching a first sermon anywhere – but especially in one’s new parishes. This is the point where people could start thinking ‘oh my goodness, what kind of Vicar do we have?’ – Which may or may not be a good thing!

And it doesn’t help that the reading set for today, the Parable of the Talents, is one of the more difficult parables we could encounter! It’s not difficult to understand, the two servants who were willing to take a risk with the talents they were left with are rewarded, the one who lost his bottle and buried his talent in the back garden is punished. That’s clear enough, it’s what it might mean for us that might make it more of a difficult parable to deal with!

The Revd Ian Paisley is reputed to have preached on this particular parable once, and to have been interrupted as he talked about the place where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth. One older woman in the group who were listening responded with ‘what about us who don’t have any teeth’ to which Paisley responded ‘Madam, teeth will be provided!’ I’m not sure how much truth there is in that story, but it does seem to illustrate how literally some take these stories, and actually how powerful they can be in shaking us up! If we allow them to, that is…
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Comments

Melli said…
I've often thought that a gambler could turn this parable to his favor! NOT that Jesus was teaching us to gamble... but I'm just sayin'... the two who were rewarded DID take a risk! It WAS a gamble! They MIGHT have lost it all... IF God wasn't in control!
Anonymous said…
I think the key is to just use what God has given us instead of burying it. Yes, sometimes it makes us take a risk and get out of our box but it will be rewarded and will not return void.
Thanks for the post.
Mark
Anonymous said…
The parable is never ending,river of living water. Jesus said "with what measure you mete these sayings of mine it will be measured unto you".
Meaning, press in on every detail,meditate & you shall reap dependant on the effort & faith.

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