The texts, moved from Sunday, July 1, 2012 to Sunday, June 24, 2012: Lamentations 3:22–33; Psalm 30; 2 Corinthians 8:7–15; and Mark 5:21–43 “Your faith has made you well.” ?? My faith! Hardly. I came to Jesus, for sure. But it was not out of faith. It was out of desperation. For twelve years IContinueContinue reading “Daughter”
Category Archives: Sermons
God’s Seedy Kingdom
The texts for Sunday, June 17, 2012: Ezekiel 17:22–24; Psalm 92:1–4, 12–15; 2 Corinthians 5:6–10[11–13] 14–17; and Mark 4:26–34 This sermon was started by watching a recent Coca-cola ad as shown on Co.create: “Security Camera Footage in Coca-cola Ad Catches People Being Awesome” “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on theContinueContinue reading “God’s Seedy Kingdom”
Trinity Sunday: A God who is also…
The texts for Sunday, June 3, 2012 (Trinity Sunday): Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12-17; and John 3:1-17 … Sometimes, this image of God — an image of God that is captured fully in a stained glass window — leaves us with the idea that we can understand God that we have God all figuredContinueContinue reading “Trinity Sunday: A God who is also…”
That we may be one…
The texts for Sunday, May 20, 2012: Acts 1:15–17, 21–26; Psalm 1; 1 John 5:9–13; and John 17:6–21. (Also mentioned: Acts 2:7-11) … And Jesus’ prayer for us? “that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the worldContinueContinue reading “That we may be one…”
Love, Jesus (the Christ)
The texts for Sunday, May 13, 2012: Acts 10:44–48; Psalm 98; 1 John 5:1–6; and John 15:9–17 …Dear Church, That seems so formal. I wish I could list you all by name—each and every one of you but then, I suppose I’d never get to what I’d like to say. You are each so preciousContinueContinue reading “Love, Jesus (the Christ)”
Vine-y God
The texts for Sunday, May 6, 2012: Acts 8:26–40; Psalm 22:25–31; 1 John 4:7–21; and John 15:1–8 …Vines are notorious for getting into places they don’t belong and become problems in gardens and yards and everywhere else I mean—if you’ve ever visited the southern United States you see what happens when a vine gets awayContinueContinue reading “Vine-y God”
The Beautiful Gate
The texts for Sunday, April 29,2012: Acts 4:5–12; Psalm 23; 1 John 3:16–24; and John 10:11–18 This sermon focuses most specifically on Acts 3:1 – 4:12 … In that moment, I can see that gate being beautiful. That gate that was closed suddenly open suddenly inviting suddenly a place of healing and wholeness where itContinueContinue reading “The Beautiful Gate”
You are witnesses of these things
The texts for Sunday, April 22, 2012: Acts 3:12–19; Psalm 4; 1 John 3:1–7; Luke 24:36b–48 … Witnesses. That’s an interesting designation. a witness sees something, experiences something. It’s kind of a passive thing, being a witness. Something happens and you simply observe it. And that makes you a witness Yet, we don’t tend toContinueContinue reading “You are witnesses of these things”
Lighten up!
The texts for Sunday, April 15, 2012 (Holy Humour Sunday): Acts 4:32–35; Psalm 133; 1 John 1:1—2:2; John 20:19–31 … After all, Jesus is risen! Death doesn’t get the final word! Life —abundant, joyful, generous, gracious, flawed and messy —LIFE overflows out of the empty tomb out of every crack in the side walk outContinueContinue reading “Lighten up!”
Off the Cliff
The texts for Sunday, April 8, 2012 (Easter Sunday): Isaiah 25:6–9; Psalm 118:1–2, 14–24; Acts 10:34–43; Mark 16:1–8 The End. Really? That’s it? “So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” Period. The end. (No wonder weContinueContinue reading “Off the Cliff”
God’s “Answer”
The texts for Good Friday, April 6, 2012: Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Psalm 22; Hebrews 10:16-25; Mark 14-15:47 … Why doesn’t God just come and make everything right? It’s a question that we sometimes ask when things are going horribly wrong in our lives or when we hear about terrible things going on in the world aroundContinueContinue reading “God’s “Answer””
Earthy Spirituality
The texts for Maundy Thursday, April 5, 2012: Exodus 12:1-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 …Our faith is earthy. Here we have the heart of our Christian practice together— meal sharing and serving one another by washing each other’s feet. You can’t get more earthy than that. You can’t get more connected to theContinueContinue reading “Earthy Spirituality”
Dissonance
The texts for Sunday, April 1, 2012 (Palm/Passion Sunday): Isaiah 50:4–9a; Psalm 31:9–16; Philippians 2:5–11; and Mark 11:1-11 Audio of sermon: Palm-Passion-B.2012 … The music: the tones and harmonies and melodies communicate in complex yet seemingly simple ways the tone of each service, each movement in Holy Week each part of the drama of theContinueContinue reading “Dissonance”
about: power
The texts for Sunday, March 25, 2012: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 51:1-12; Hebrews 5:5-10; and John 12:20-33 The ability to dominate, to control, to destroy, to hurt, to kill is often perceived as power. As real strength. We certainly measure the strength of our country this way: the strength of our military might the strength it has to kill others,ContinueContinue reading “about: power”
Nicene Creed: Mind Words
Texts: 1 Kings 3:3-15, Mark 12:29-30, The Nicene Creed Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all yourContinueContinue reading “Nicene Creed: Mind Words”
Nicene Creed: Soul Words
Texts: Psalm 42, Mark 12:29-30, The Nicene Creed Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. – Psalm 42:2a ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with allContinueContinue reading “Nicene Creed: Soul Words”
The Main Thing
The texts for Sunday, March 11, 2012 are: Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; John 2:13-22 … These texts that insist again and again that the main thing for us should be God —I am the Lord Your God —You shall have no other gods before me —God’s weakness is greater than human strengthContinueContinue reading “The Main Thing”
Nicene Creed: Heart Words
A sermon/reflection from Wednesday, March 7th, 2012. Texts: John 12:37-43, Mark 12:28-34, The Nicene Creed Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Last Wednesday (if we hadn’t been snow/sleeted/iced out), we would have heard a different text, from Mark actually, that was to frame all of ourContinueContinue reading “Nicene Creed: Heart Words”
Jabbok Dawn 