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THE NINETY-NINE AND THE ONE


Rev. Dr. Warner Bailey, Preacher
Ezekiel 34.1-24 Psalm 100 Ephesians 1.15-23 John 10.11-16
November 20, 2011

Before I go any further, I owe you a word of full disclosure. You may remember that you were told prior to the reading of the Old Testament lesson that what you would hear would be coming from the New Jerusalem Bible. If you were following the reading from your pew Bible, you were reading the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. The Jerusalem Bible comes from the work of scholars who are part of the Eccole Biblique in Jerusalem. The Eccole Biblique is an internationally respected school of biblical study founded by French Roman Catholic scholars. I chose the Jerusalem Bible over the pew Bible for today’s text because of what the Jerusalem Bible says God will do with the fat sheep when the new shepherd comes in judgment and salvation. The Jerusalem Bible says that the shepherd will watch over the fat sheep. The watching over is part of the overall plan to save the entire flock. Your pew Bible says that the savior-shepherd will destroy the fat sheep. Watch over or destroy. Those are pretty big alternatives.Read More »THE NINETY-NINE AND THE ONE

To Have and To Have Not


Matthew 25: 14-30

November 13, 2011

St. Stephen Presbyterian Church

Fort Worth, TX

Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch, Pastor

 

One of the great things about Facebook is the ability to get back in touch with people you haven’t seen in decades. Yes, decades. Like my high school friends. It’s kind of cool to see how they’ve turned out. Some of them are pretty much what I’d expect—the guy who I thought would be a preacher is a preacher; the guy who I thought would be a no-good ne’er do well is indeed a no-good ne’er do well. Most people grew up just to be themselves, but grown up—the same basic personalities and quirks and gifts and foibles, only now on an adult stage, with jobs, families, so on; and with adult problems, like unemployment, divorce, kids with problems.

There are some exceptions, though, like my friend Connie.Read More »To Have and To Have Not

Know Your Place!–Children’s Sabbath Sermon

Matthew 20: 20-28
Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch, Preacher

It may be disturbing to members of St. Stephen how easily your pastor can come up with a topic for a sermon on Children’s Sunday. My topic this morning is the movie “Thor,” about the Norse Thunder God. And since our Old Testament reading today was the Ten Commandments let me assure you that the movie makes clear that Thor is not a god, but an extra-dimensional being, and so I’m not in violation of the First or Second Commandments.

I went to see “Thor” not expecting much. I was never a big fan of the comic book when I was a kid—all these Norse gods running around spouting “thees” and “thous” like bad actors in a high school Shakespeare play.Read More »Know Your Place!–Children’s Sabbath Sermon

Begrudging God–Matthew 20: 1-16

September 18, 2011
St. Stephen Presbyterian Church
Fort Worth, TX
Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch, Preacher

I did a couple of conferences this past year where some of the speakers were classmates of mine. In fact, some of them were in the classes below me when I was in seminary. And look at them now! Headlining major conferences! They’ve done so well! I’m so proud of them!

No I’m not! 

I keep thinking: Why them and not me?Read More »Begrudging God–Matthew 20: 1-16

Too Hard to Believe–A Sermon on Poverty, Politics, and Faith–August 28, 2011


Matthew 16: 21-28

August 28, 2011

Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch, Preacher

The disciple Cephas has really scored. All the other disciples are high-fiving him. He got it right! He figured it out! Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God! And to reward him, Jesus has renamed him “Peter,” which means “The Rock,” and Jesus has told Peter, right in front of everybody, that Peter will be the rock on which Jesus will build His church, and that he, Peter, will have the keys to heaven and hell! He’ll personally decide who is in and who is out!Read More »Too Hard to Believe–A Sermon on Poverty, Politics, and Faith–August 28, 2011

Yes!– Exodus 1: 8-2: 10

Yes!
Exodus 1: 8-2: 10
Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch, Preacher

The other day I heard about a teacher at American University in DC, Lynn Ganek. When she was studying to be a teacher, she received a student mini-grant for her project. That project ultimately became The Reading Rainbow. Now, she and her family aren’t rich, but they believe in education. They wanted to put their money where their hearts are. So this is what they do: every year, they provide ten grants of $500 each to student teachers who develop projects they feel are making a difference. It’s a time-consuming task that requires developing and reviewing piles of applications and narrowing the field to the ten best-qualified. Then they have a big celebration dinner. They go to all this trouble, $5000 plus the expense of the dinner, because they believe that good teachers make the world a better place.Read More »Yes!– Exodus 1: 8-2: 10

Where the Waves Are–Dr. Warner Bailey, Preacher

WHERE THE WAVES ARE

Genesis 37.1-4, 12-28   Psalm 105.1-6, 16-22, 45b   Romans 10.5-15   Matthew 14.22-33

Seeing is not always believing, especially when you look out into the teeth of a storm.  Seeing is not always believing, especially when our heart is full of bitterness, anger, rage, and that sinking feeling of absolute helplessness.  The disciples of Jesus had been with him many months, perhaps a couple of years, and they had witnessed his mighty power many, many times. They knew his face like the back of their hands, and yet when they saw him coming to them over the boiling waves, their last ounce of courage evaporated in the face of the storm. The whole boatload of them convulsed into the despair of overwhelming horror.  They thought he was a ghost, the grim reaper, come to take them to their watery graves.Read More »Where the Waves Are–Dr. Warner Bailey, Preacher

Demon or God?–Genesis 32: 22-31

Demon or God?

Genesis 32: 22-31

Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch, Preacher

 

Our Old Testament story is one of the most familiar of the Bible. Jacob, the most conniving fellow in the scriptures, finds himself between a rock and a hard place. He has managed to outsmart his father-in-law Laban and free himself and his family from Laban’s service. But now he has to figure out how to overcome the demons of his past. Years before, he had disguised himself as his twin brother Esau to trick his blind father into giving him Esau’s blessing. Now Jacob has to pass through the land where Esau now lives, and he has heard that Esau is coming to meet him with two hundred men.  Jacob is terrified. He divides his own company into two groups, so that if Esau attacks him, one group has a chance of escaping. He sends them off and he waits, alone, by the river Jabbok, waits—for what?Read More »Demon or God?–Genesis 32: 22-31

Found


Matthew 13: 31-33, 44-52

July 24, 2011

St. Stephen Presbyterian Church

Fort Worth, TX

Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch, Preacher

 

When my wife Margaret had graduated college, and her younger sister Cynthia was still in college, they joined a couple of friends and travelled in Italy together for the summer.  Margaret and her friend Michelle split off from Cynthia and Allison and they travelled separately, agreeing to meet in Venice in Piazza San Marcos at a set time. Meanwhile, Allison had to return home, leaving Cynthia on her own, and Cynthia got lost. Margaret didn’t know this. She arrived at Piazza San Marcos at the appointed time, and Cynthia wasn’t there. Now this was in the days before cell phones and internet. There was no way they could find each other.Read More »Found

Wheat and Weeds

Weeds and Wheat

Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43

July 17, 2011

St. Stephen Presbyterian Church

Fort Worth, TX

Rev. Dr. Fritz Ritsch, Preacher

 

Some of you may remember a sermon I did a few years ago about the problem of Trumpet Vines growing in our yard and garden, and our quest to get rid of them permanently. I tried many things, a large number of which you all suggested. And guess what:

 

They’re ba-ack.Read More »Wheat and Weeds