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A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 


Frank’s Sermons - 17 Jan 2006
By Mary T. Hoffman

We have Frank’s computerized sermons on file from eleven years of his being pastor in a church, as well as other sermons that were delivered in other places where he was invited to speak. Frank volunteered his time free of charge, since we had a business that provided our means of support.

Each week I scan for publication one of these sermons for inclusion in the Sermon section of our Website. Today I scanned one entitled “The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength” which was originally given at The Federated Church of Athens in Athens, New York on the 22nd of January 1995. This sermon will be published on our Website next Sunday morning, which coincidentally also happens to be January 22nd!

I really enjoy preparing these sermons for several reasons. They are spiritually uplifting and give me hope in this fallen world. They remind me of the long journey our lives have taken, and I am filled with thanks for God’s bringing us together forty-five years ago. When I say “fallen world” I am not being “holier than thou.” After all, we are all part of this “fallen world.” Some of us, however, respond with a teachable heart at some time in our lives, and we change. We become increasingly kinder and more compassionate toward all of God’s creation (humans, animals, and the environment). And in response to this change, we continue to learn more and to change even more.

I will end this commentary with two quotations. The first one is from Matthew 5:48. Jesus says, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” The second one is credited to John Henry Newman: “To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.”

Go on to: God Listens When You’re Sad - 18 Jan 2006
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