Sermon Archives

joy
February 13, 2022

Time for Celebration

Time for Celebration

Here’s a question for you to ponder: did God command Sabbath-keeping because the Sabbath is good? Or is it good because God commanded it? Think on that! Some years ago I had a one-semester sabbatical. We were originally going to Oxford, England, but at the last minute our housing fell through. So we had to […]

January 2, 2022

The Lord in the Dance

The Lord in the Dance

…when it comes to dancing as an expression of worship, all the churches of which I’ve been a part, have had trouble embracing it beyond watching a rare liturgical dance performance. And that’s true for a lot of churches, not just Mennonite ones.

December 12, 2021

The Blessing Place

The Blessing Place

Zephaniah, a minor prophet, consisted of nine prophetic oracles (that is, messages from God). Eight of these oracles were judgment against Judah and Jerusalem for their pride and failure to keep the covenant. This book was written during King Josiah’s reign, a reform-minded monarch. Despite his best efforts, there was still a great deal of […]

December 13, 2020

Joy before the World

On the road to restoration. That’s the theme for this third Sunday of Advent. Almost three years ago, I was driving east on Wilden Avenue. My car:  A 2000 Honda Civic LX. It’s color:  Vintage Plum. According to the owner’s manual, the 2000 Honda Civic LX belonged to the sixth-generation of Civics. It included a […]

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 […]

August 31, 2014

Loss and Redemption

The story of Ruth and Naomi is a story of profound, painful loss. In previous sermons this month, we’ve talked in some detail about the losses they experienced. Now in chapter 4, the story turns wonderfully toward redemption: Ruth and Naomi bounce back into the good life. Ruth marries a sterling man named Boaz; they […]

April 23, 2014

Easter

The challenge of Easter is that we have heard this story so many times, we stop listening to it because we know what happens. We know how it ends. Jesus died, and rose again. End of story. Now what’s for dinner? That’s the challenge for all of us, preacher and listener alike. We know this […]

December 15, 2013

Waiting at the door with Elizabeth and Mary

All of this happens in the doorway. Mary arrives at Elizabeth’s house ‐ the cousins exchange greetings. We could ask the same question of Mary that Mary asked of the angel some months ago. When the angel came to Mary she wondered what kind of greeting this might be. Now we get a strange greeting […]