Sermons (Page 159)

Names, titles, and labels matter. We know this. Oh, we know this. With the Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday we all know that the label “marriage” carries incredible weight. It carries more weight that “civil union,” more than “domestic partner,” and more than the simple “partner.” Both sides of the issue have gone head to head over the ability to use the label “marriage” or withhold that label from a relationship. So we know that labels matter…

Passengers and crew loaded onto Airbus A330-300 bound for Shanghai. They eventually push back and wait to take off. The engines thrust and they pickup speed. The plane takes off, wheels are up, and they begin their climb. I imagine little children looking out the window as the once large cars and homes become smaller. Not before long the flight reaches its cruising altitude, and drinks are being served. At this point it’s about 3.5 hours in the flight. Suddenly both engines fail mid-air. The airplane begins plunging – it drops 5,000, 10,000, 20,000 feet and keeps falling. It’s right there that we find the disciples in today’s story…