Loosed in Heaven Matthew 18: 15-20 You might have seen the quote I posted to my Facebook wall this week. It’s by a United Church of Christ pastor and writer, Lillian Daniel, commenting on the tendency of people in our culture to refer to themselves…
Bare Feet and Holy Ground Exodus 3: 1-15 It’s a story about calling. It’s a story about a nomad finding home, people, and purpose. About doing the improbable, crazy, hard thing God asks. It’s about the deliverance of God’s own people. And the whole thing…
Dwelling Places John 14: 1-7 What’s a dwelling place? Is it simply any place you lay your head at night or fix a meal? Does it have to be decorated? Does a tent count? Is it a dwelling place if you only stay there one…
On the Road Luke 24: 13-35 It’s fitting that today’s text – for our final worship of the semester – happens on the road. People headed off from home base. It’s still Easter day in Luke’s story and two followers of Jesus are headed from…
Your Name, God’s Lips John 20: 1-18 What’s it like when your name is called? Sitting in line at the DMV, updating your Facebook status by iPhone, waiting hours for your turn in line. How does it sound when your name is finally called? How…
Sunday’s Palms Matthew 21: 1-11 I was at a training for pastors last week and at one point the presenter, very excited about what she was presenting, waxed on about the way the church will be changed for the better once we are all trained…
Knowing John 9: 1-41 As many of you know, one of my all-time favorite movies is When Harry Met Sally. It’s a romantic comedy told in stages across many years, the love story of Harry and Sally who meet upon college graduation and eventually get…
Weaning from Worry Psalm 131 and Matthew 6: 24-34 I work with students so I know about worry. Many folks think that students don’t have much to worry about and there are many ways in which that’s true. Most students don’t yet have mortgages, car…
Woo Who? Matthew 5: 21-37 One of the best examples of wooing and one of the most enduring film images of all times comes from Say Anything. John Cusack stands, forlorn, love struck, and soaked-through in the rain, holding up a boom box over his…
On Being Savory & Shining Isaiah 58: 1-12 and Matthew 5: 13-20 Ever since I read Bread of Three Rivers last year, I have been curious about fleur de sel. Flower of the sea. It’s the first, frothy harvest of salt, considered the finest salt…
