The texts for Sunday, June 3, 2018: Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Psalm 81:1-10; 2 Corinthians 4:5-12; and Mark 2:23–3:6 “But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” – 2 Corinthians 4:7 There are days I should tattooContinueContinue reading “Clay Jars”
Tag Archives: brokenness
Speaking Love
The texts for Sunday, September 7th, 2014: Ezekiel 33:7-11; Psalm 119:33-40; Romans 13:8-14; and Matthew 18:15-20 . “So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.” – Ezekiel 33:7 What does it mean to love? I ask thisContinueContinue reading “Speaking Love”
Reclamation Grace
The texts for Sunday, September 15, 2013 (Lectionary 24C): Exodus 32:7–14; Psalm 51:1–10; 1 Timothy 1:12–17; and Luke 15:1–10. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” – Psalm 51: 10 I’d say that God is a God of second chances; but, besides it sounding a little cliché, it might give the impressionContinueContinue reading “Reclamation Grace”
The message of reconciliation
The texts for Sunday, March 10, 2013: Joshua 5:9–12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16–21; and Luke 15:1–3, 11b–32 “that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.” – 2 Corinthians 5:19 Reconciliation. This is the kind of thing thatContinueContinue reading “The message of reconciliation”
The Vulnerability of Incarnation
The text for this reflection/sermon for the first Wednesday service in Advent (December 5, 2012): Luke 22: 14-19 One of the things that may become obvious, or maybe not, looking at Mary’s swelling belly or the infant Jesus lying in a manger is that Christians aren’t much into the “omni-god.” The “omni-god” is what IContinueContinue reading “The Vulnerability of Incarnation”
A New and Living Way
The texts for Sunday, November 18, 2012 (Lectionary 33): Daniel 12:1–3; Psalm 16; Hebrews 10:11–25; and Mark 13:1–8 … But, here the author of Hebrews takes that image of that curtain even further. And makes it not just about the fabric in the temple but talks about Jesus’ flesh as the curtain through which weContinueContinue reading “A New and Living Way”
Be still, then…
The texts for Sunday, October 28, 2012 (Reformation Sunday): Jeremiah 31:31–34; Psalm 46; Romans 3:19–28; and John 8:31–36. “Be still, then, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.” – Psalm 46: 10 I have a confession. Perhaps this is horrible for aContinueContinue reading “Be still, then…”
Born into a Broken World
The texts July 1, 2012 (moved from June 24, 2012 — the celebration of the birth of John the Baptist): Malachi 3:1–4; Psalm 141; Acts 13:13–26; and Luke 1:57–80 … Our world is full of shattered lives and broken people and all sorts of broken dreams, ideas, systems, and priorities. Our world is full ofContinueContinue reading “Born into a Broken World”
Confessions of a Lousy Gardener
A friend of mine asked me to help her learn to garden. I honestly have mixed feelings about this. Not because I’m not excited that she wants to learn to garden—I am. Not because I don’t love helping people garden—I do. Not because I’m not excited about helping her learn to garden—I very much am.ContinueContinue reading “Confessions of a Lousy Gardener”
Working with our nothing
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”
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”
Going to Hell
“The church is going to hell in a handbasket.” This is a phrase I hear periodically. I especially hear it from people who think that the church shouldn’t change, that it should have stayed the way it was when they were kids. My response has usually been to try to understand what it is thatContinueContinue reading “Going to Hell”
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”
Out, out damned spot
Text: Isaiah 4: 2-6 Let me give you a couple of scenes that flash in my mind as I read this text. The first I imagine is a soldier—of ancient times— standing in the midst of the carnage after a battle covered in blood—his own and so many others cries of those not quite dead—his ownContinueContinue reading “Out, out damned spot”
Saints Are Us
The texts for Sunday, November 6, 2011: Revelation 7:9–17; Psalm 34:1–10, 22; 1 John 3:1–3; and Matthew 5:1–12 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went … and taught … saying: Blessed are …” – Matthew 5:1-3ish Dorothy Day, a woman who was instrumental in starting the Catholic worker movement and someone who worked tirelessly forContinueContinue reading “Saints Are Us”
Praying for transformation
The texts for Sunday, October 2, 2011 were: Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:7-15; Philippians 3:4b-14; and Matthew 21:33-46. “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces;ContinueContinue reading “Praying for transformation”
Posing Questions
The texts for Sunday, September 11, 2011 (at least the ones that we’re using) were: Jonah 3:1-4:11; Psalm 140; Ephesians 2:1-7 [8-10]; and Luke 10:25-37 This Sunday, we had a picnic, jointly held, between Immanuel, Salem, and Zion Lutheran. Pastor Joshua Rinas (the pastor at Zion) and I planned a service called: “Rising up: Remembering, Healing,ContinueContinue reading “Posing Questions”
The Body Broken
The texts for Sunday, September 4, 2011 are: Ezekiel 33:7–11; Psalm 119:33–40; Romans 13:8–14; and Matthew 18:15–20. … No, we only encounter that God, that God embodied in Jesus when we live, serve, struggle in community. We only encounter that God embodied in Jesus when we look into the eyes of the person whom hasContinueContinue reading “The Body Broken”
Jabbok Dawn 