Reflections for Lent 2019 – Day 9 I really hate it when an experiment is an unmitigated failure. Of course, I’m sure you could argue that an experiment is never a failure if you learn something from it. I get that. And yet… With lots of reflection over the course of this past year, weContinueContinue reading “Sidewalk flowers: Experiments”
Tag Archives: community
Sidewalk Flowers: Ways to say “I love you.”
Reflections for Lent – Day 6 Yesterday at church, parishioners shared with me their favorite cures to sinus infections and colds (yes, I’m sick … still). They asked a whole lot of “Have you tried …?” and offered all sorts of help. I felt a bit overwhelmed. I’m not used to being taken care ofContinueContinue reading “Sidewalk Flowers: Ways to say “I love you.””
Clay Jars
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”
A world turned on end
The texts for Sunday, November 13, 2016: Malachi 4:1-2a; Psalm 98; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; and Luke 21: 5-19 Nations will rise against nation Earthquakes, famines, plagues Sickness, persecution, suffering Injustices, riots, reactions … Jesus’ words here, to be honest, don’t sound that different from the news most days —and from all sides of the political spectrumContinueContinue reading “A world turned on end”
Seeking
The texts for Sunday, September 11, 2016 are: Exodus 32:7-14; Psalm 51:1-10; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; and Luke 15:1-10 “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?” -Luke 15:8 The unrelenting love of God. That seeks And looks inContinueContinue reading “Seeking”
The Epistle of Straw
The texts for Sunday September 20, 2015 (17th Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary 25): Jeremiah 11:18-20; Psalm 54; James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a; and Mark 9:30-37. Ah, the book of James… the sermon every angry pastor is tempted to preach and the letter we’re most apt to misquote. We’ve been hearing it for a number of weeks nowContinueContinue reading “The Epistle of Straw”
What’s in it for me?
The texts for Sunday August 9, 2015 (11th Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary 19): 1 Kings 19:4-8; Psalm 34:1-8; Ephesians 4:25-5:2; and John 6:35, 41-51 We are on the third week of bread and I thought that I should maybe preach about bread about God’s sustaining us about God’s giving strength for the journey —ContinueContinue reading “What’s in it for me?”
Wilderness Time
The texts for Sunday August 2, 2015 (10th Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary 18): Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15; Psalm 78:23-29; Ephesians 4:1-16; and John 6:24-35 (This sermon was preached at a yearly ecumenical worship service at which the Episcopal, Congregational, Methodist, Lutheran, and often other churches in town gather to worship together. This recording is a re-recordingContinueContinue reading “Wilderness Time”
Shall we rise?
The texts for Sunday June 28, 2015 (5th Sunday after Pentecost): Lamentations 3:22–33; Psalm 30; 2 Corinthians 8:7–15; and Mark 5:21–43 Jesus finds his way into town and, despite crowds pressing in, he heals two. Or at least just two in this story. Two seemingly very different women. One, barely a woman — just 12ContinueContinue reading “Shall we rise?”
The homeless King
The texts for Sunday, November 23, 2014 (Christ the King): Ezekiel 34:11–16, 20–24; Psalm 95:1–7a; Ephesians 1:15–23; and Matthew 25:31–46. The audio of the sermon: Sermon for Christ the King … when we separate ourselves from others when we refuse to acknowledge, as Dorothy Day said, our own soul’s hunger and our own homelessness, we separate ourselves from a GodContinueContinue reading “The homeless King”
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”
Praying for Everyone?
Image by Ri Butov from Pixabay The texts for Sunday, September 22, 2013 (Lectionary 25 C): Amos 8:4–7; Psalm 113; 1 Timothy 2:1–7; and Luke 16:1–13 . “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone” – 1 Timothy 2:1 I know this sentence continues in the text to tell us to prayContinueContinue reading “Praying for Everyone?”
The Direction Faith Looks
The texts for Sunday, August 11,2013 (Lectionary 19 C): Genesis 15:1–6; Psalm 33:12–22; Hebrews 11:1–3, 8–16; and Luke 12:32–40 “[God] brought [Abram] outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.'” – Genesis 15:5 “But as it is, they desire aContinueContinue reading “The Direction Faith Looks”
The Use of Power
The texts for Sunday, June 16,2013 (Lectionary 11C): 2 Samuel 11:26—12:10; 12:13–15; Psalm 32; Galatians 2:15–21; and Luke 7:36—8:3 “Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel…” – 2 Samuel 12:7 At pericope study on Tuesday, I heard something about this story ofContinueContinue reading “The Use of Power”
Tabitha
The texts for Sunday, April 21, 2013: Acts 9:36-43; Psalm 23; Revelation 7:9-17; and John 10:22-30. “The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me” – John 10: 25b I’m really drawn to the story of Tabitha in Acts. There is something about a story, I suppose, that brings faith to life, that puts flesh onContinueContinue reading “Tabitha”
Habit of the heart
The texts for Sunday, November 11, 2012 (Lectionary 32): 1 Kings 17:8–16; Psalm 146; Hebrews 9:24–28; and Mark 12:38–44 Did you know that giving is a habit of the heart? It is not something that best comes from hearing a sermon about how you should give It is not something that best comes from guiltContinueContinue reading “Habit of the heart”
Community and diversity
The texts for Sunday, October 7, 2012 (Lection 27): Genesis 2:18–24; Psalm 8; Hebrews 1:1–4; 2:5–12; and Mark 10:2–16 “Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” – Genesis 2: 18 First, a (partial) re-translation of this text. ItContinueContinue reading “Community and diversity”
Built on a Rock
Built on a rock, the church shall stand, even when steeples are falling; crumbled have spires in every land, bells still are chiming and calling— calling the young and old to rest, calling the souls of those distressed, longing for life everlasting. There are very few hymns that I dislike and I love most ofContinueContinue reading “Built on a Rock”
Jabbok Dawn 