The texts for Sunday, March 4, 2012: Genesis 17:1–7, 15–16; Psalm 22:23–31; Romans 4:13–25; Mark 8:31–38. … How often in the church do we look for ways that we can be better? Better outreach programs Better ministry programs Better web presence Better use of technology Better teaching programs and classes And yet, we forget thatContinueContinue reading “Working with our nothing”
Category Archives: Sermons
Taking Up Your Cross
The texts for Sunday, March 4, 2012: Genesis 17:1–7, 15–16; Psalm 22:23–31; Romans 4:13–25; Mark 8:31–38. I confess that I cringe when I read this gospel text. I’ve rarely heard a piece of scripture that is more frequently misused than this passage. And worse— these words are said to come straight from Jesus and seemContinueContinue reading “Taking Up Your Cross”
Biblical Preaching
The texts for Sunday, February 26, 2012: Genesis 9:8-17; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Peter 3:18-22; and Mark 1:9-15 Note: the sermon is only loosely based on the texts. For the season of Lent, we are lifting up different parts of the liturgy and talking about what they are and why we do them. This sermon focusedContinueContinue reading “Biblical Preaching”
Dust
The texts for Ash Wednesday, February 22, 2012: Joel 2:1–2, 12–17; 2 Corinthians 5:20b—6:10; Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21 In a very little bit, I will dip my thumb in a little oil and a little ash and trace the sign of the cross on the foreheads of those of you who’d like to come forward. AsContinueContinue reading “Dust”
Glory Ungraspable
The texts for Sunday, February 19, 2012: 2 Kings 2:1–12, Psalm 50:1–6, 2 Corinthians 4:3–6, Mark 9:2–9 … There is a certain tragic edge to glory it seems. As though, we can only seek after it, but in the end we are destroyed in the attempt to attain it. Either that, or only a very few are everContinueContinue reading “Glory Ungraspable”
God’s Break(in)g
The texts for Sunday, January 8, 2012: Genesis 1:1–5; Psalm 29; Acts 19:1–7, and Mark 1:4–11. … In these texts we have a God who doesn’t seem overly interested in just making things better by fixing them but it seems like this God is interested in breaking things and making them radically new. Light broke openContinueContinue reading “God’s Break(in)g”
Foolish Wisdom
The texts for Epiphany, January 6, 2011: Isaiah 60: 1-6; Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12 … I’ve always found the magi such a mysterious group of people these guys show up from the east by the guiding of the star and make their presence known and then disappear into the mists from whichContinueContinue reading “Foolish Wisdom”
Cradling an Unknown Future
The texts for January 1, 2012: Numbers 6:22–27; Psalm 8; Galatians 4:4–7; and Luke 2:21-38. … It is also maybe why we get sentimentally sappy as the clock strikes midnight and we break out in “Auld lang sine”: “We’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet for old time’s sake!” Essentially we are saying good byeContinueContinue reading “Cradling an Unknown Future”
Reflections of the Manger
The texts for Christmas Day, 2011: Isaiah 52:7–10, Psalm 98, Hebrews 1:1–12, and John 1:1–14 Christmas morning—thanks to inspiration from Nadia Bolz-Weber, the House For All Sinners and Saints, and Clayfire, as well as the texts themselves: “The Word became flesh…”—I didn’t preach a traditional sermon. Instead, I introduced the Gospel by restating exactly thatContinueContinue reading “Reflections of the Manger”
Here is God
The texts for Christmas Eve, 2011: Isaiah 9:2–7, Psalm 96, Titus 2:11–14, and Luke 2:1–20 … But Here is God: showing up in the middle of our messiest in the middle of taxes and homelessness and abandonment and the cold and the poor and the bloody unpredictable uncontrollable messiness of birth. Here is God: showingContinueContinue reading “Here is God”
Mary: The Child Bride
The texts for Sunday, December 18, 2011: 2 Samuel 7:1–11, 16; Psalm 89:1–4, 19–26; Romans 16:25–27; and Luke 1:26–38. She might have been 12 or 13 or maybe 15 at the oldest. I think it is interesting that we have all these wonderings about Mary about the state of her virginity about the truth ofContinueContinue reading “Mary: The Child Bride”
The future present?
The texts for Sunday, December 11, 2011: Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11; Luke 1:46b–55; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24; and John 1:6–8, 19–28 … But John’s authority —his words —his whole reason for being is not to point to the past is not to recreate the past but to point to the coming of God … the future, but inContinueContinue reading “The future present?”
Waiting
The texts for Sunday, December 4, 2011: Isaiah 40:1–11; Psalm 85:1–2, 8–13; 2 Peter 3:8–15a; and Mark 1:1–8 As a person who has, in all honesty, stood by the microwave and pleaded with it to hurry up— I am probably not the one to speak with the wise experienced words of a patient waiter. Waiting is not myContinueContinue reading “Waiting”
Our Refuge and Strength
The texts for October 30, 2011: Jeremiah 31:31–34; Psalm 46; Romans 3:19–28; and John 8:31–36 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, and though the mountains shake in the depths of the sea; though its waters rage and foam, andContinueContinue reading “Our Refuge and Strength”
Beloved of God
The texts for Sunday, October 23, 2011 were: Leviticus 19:1–2, 15–18; Psalm 1; 1 Thessalonians 2:1–8; and Matthew 22:34–46 … God’s will, desire, dream expressed in the whole law and the prophets from Genesis to Leviticus to Jesus to Revelation to beyond God’s dream and prophetic cry is that all of God’s children flourish ThatContinueContinue reading “Beloved of God”
What are you worth?
The texts for Sunday, October 16, 2011 were: Isaiah 45:1–7; Psalm 96:1–13; 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10; and Matthew 22:15–22 … In our mindset, in the way that we run our world, in our culture, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and George Soros are worth more than the homeless guy who sleeps underneath the interstate bridge or theContinueContinue reading “What are you worth?”
The Passionate Host
The texts for Sunday, October 9, 2011 were: Isaiah 25:1–9; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:1–9; and Matthew 22:1–14 … God has also prepared a banquet, according to Isaiah. A banquet to celebrate the end of old things and the beginning of new. A banquet that in itself is truly grace. Everyone is welcome there. There isContinueContinue reading “The Passionate Host”
Sunrise is coming…
The texts for Sunday, September 18, 2011 were: Jonah 3:10—4:11; Psalm 145:1–8; Philippians 1:21–30; and Matthew 20:1–16. “Sunrise is coming,” she said. That was the only response I got when I asked if it was worth it. If it was worth working through the night. If it was worth waiting in the long, painful hours—waitingContinueContinue reading “Sunrise is coming…”
Jabbok Dawn 