Sermon Archives

May 3, 2020

Loving our neighbors while suffering

Are you suffering? I think many of us are. Maybe not all the time, but likely more than before the lockdown. This pandemic has gotten the best of us – we are more isolated from each other, or homebound togetherness may be leaning toward the tedious. Just going out of the house may feel riskier […]

April 26, 2020

The Long Slog to Communion

Now, what? Every single one of us asks that question at some point in our lives, several points, probably. Now what? Maybe you are asking that question right now. Maybe those of you with children are being asked that question a lot these days. You see, we ask that question whenever we find ourselves taking […]

April 19, 2020

This is a dangerous sermon

Everywhere you look, there are warnings reminding you to be careful. On a Starbucks cup: “Careful, the beverage you are about to enjoy is extremely hot.” On a super glue bottle, it says this: “Warning: Bonds instantly. Do not swallow. Do not get in eyes.” A beach ball, for those of you that are wondering, […]

April 12, 2020

Practicing Resurrection

I In the last four weeks, I’ve been talking with Christians across the United States, from Virginia in the east, to California in the west; and from Minnesota in the north, to Florida in the south. I’ve listened to pastors, conference ministers, therapists, and spiritual directors. All of them are asking the same underlying question: […]

April 5, 2020

When Every Day is Good Friday

I always feel conflicted about Palm Sunday. We go from celebrating the entry of Christ into Jerusalem to a week of thinking about Easter dinners, baked goods, and dyed eggs to Good Friday. I feel that “Good Friday” is always a bit of a misnomer. While Jesus’ resurrection can certainly be labeled “good,” there’s really […]

March 29, 2020

In the Valley of the Shadow

“Jesus wept.” Jesus wept. That’s it. “Jesus wept” is the verse that I’d blurt out when I was asked by my childhood Sunday school teachers to share scripture that I had memorized. A little smart-alecky, I know, a sad part of my checkered history. And to you children’s Sunday school teachers who are watching, all […]

March 22, 2020

We’re Blind

These days, we are blind. We really, really wish it were not so. But in truth, right now we are all blind people. Up until 2 or 3 weeks ago, most of us had established, predictable, and comfortable lives. We got out of bed, dressed, and went off to work or school or whatever else […]

March 8, 2020

The Call of the Midwife

We are respectable people, right? We dress respectably. We act respectably. We speak respectably. We’re well-read, well-known, well-connected. well-adjusted, well-intentioned, well-informed, well-groomed, and, if we must say so ourselves, well-respected. We’re respectively respectably reputable.    

March 1, 2020

Just as I am

As I have said in previous sermons, I love angry Jesus. As an Enneagram 8 (and if you’re wondering about the Enneagram, just wait, because we have a Sunday School series starting up this week about it), I see so much of myself in angry Jesus. Most of this stems from my “Am I the […]

February 16, 2020

Good Body

Well, it’s time to address the elephant in the room: Shakira, J.Lo and the Super Bowl halftime show. Now, I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to say, “I haven’t thought about that for two weeks,” or, “I never thought about it at all,” or, “I don’t want to think about it again.” […]

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