A Sermon for Reformation Day

On October 31st, 1517 the "Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences” was posted on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg Germany. We know it as Luther’s 95 Theses. The thoughts of this then little known pastor and professor would eventually reach the Pope himself, and light the fuse of the Reformation. In doing so, Luther shows us that sometimes the most God-glorifying thing to do is not to sit quiet and honor authority but to speak your mind and question it. He showed the world that sometimes, when just one mouth is opened and one hand is raised, the entire world can change.

Sermon, BlogMatthew PopovitsOctober 31, 2015sermon, grace, gospel, historyComment

Unclaimed Baggage: A sermon on repentance

It’s every traveler’s nightmare: lost luggage. Many of us have been there. We endure a cramped flight, a painfully slow process of deplaning and shuffling down the aisle of the aircraft, snake our way through concourses and down escalators to the luggage area only to discover that ours—for whatever reason—is no where to be found on the suitcase carousel. “Great,” we think. “Just my luck.” And so begins the painful process of trying to track down and reclaim one’s personal baggage.

SermonMatthew PopovitsDecember 1, 2014Comment

Jesus and the "Lights-out" Wedding

Yeah, The Hangover was funny. Yes, Bridesmaids was crazy. And of course, Wedding Crashers was epic. But when it comes to lights-out wedding day antics nobody beats Jesus. Nobody.

Hollywood has always had a thing for weddings; making movies about them that is. Apparently there’s something about the drama of walking down the aisle, the commitment of saying, “I do,” the cost of a great reception and the wildness of a bachelor party that keeps screenwriters scribbling and the movie going public paying.

But Hollywood falls short when it comes to jaw-dropping wedding stories with the most cultural cachet. According to John’s Gospel that honor belongs to Jesus, who hijacked a wedding way back in the day.