Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body,” which set me thinking about the differences between looking and seeing and the meaning we make from both. _________________________ All this week, as I have been contemplating our passage for today, I’ve been thinking about the differences between looking and seeing. Describing those differences is…
“Where our treasure is, there will our heart be also” is among the Bible verses I first learned. This time around it hit me in new ways as I thought about how things connect us to one another and made some interesting connections of my own. _______________________ Because all of us on our church staff…
grief biscuits I saw the leftovers when I opened the fridge two baked sweet potatoes missed or ignored but not yet past their usefulness so I made some biscuits because I needed to make something of today in the face of war and the hunger of dead friends you can’t make a biscuit without getting…
Following the admonition to love our enemies, Jesus’ focus in the Sermon on the Mount turned to what motivates our actions, and particularly our piety—another way of reminding us that life and faith are team sports. ______________________________ As I stand here this morning with my folder and my manuscript to guide me through the next…
I chose my passage for my sermon some weeks ago, and then found it painfully poignant when I woke to news of the US bombing of Iran and all that has set in motion. Here is my sermon from last Sunday. _____________________________ This is one of those sermons where it’s hard to know where to…
I am veering away from the Lectionary and preaching through Matthew for the Lenten season, which means we will spend most of it in the Sermon on the Mount. This week’s passage is Matthew 5:21-26. Thanks for reading. ____________________________ Last Sunday I worshipped with the congregation at Lee Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in North…
remember you are dust remember you are dust the pastor smudged my forehead with a cross and a focused stare his eyes conveyed a tone beyond admonition an invitation to resonate to find my place with all that is temporary vulnerable and valuable remember you are dust dust is the stuff of life particles of…
I spent two hours this afternoon offering “ashes to go” on the campus of Quinnipiac University, which sits about a mile from my church. The school enlisted several clergy to take shifts today. They placed me on the first floor of the Student Center, across the atrium the Starbucks. This was the inaugural year of…
I was traveling on the day I usually post my sermon. When I went to look for it to link to the newsletter, I realized it was left unsent, which means your inbox will get a little crowded today. _________________________________ Singer Amy Grant has been making the interview rounds lately because she released a new…
My congregation got to meet in person for the first time in three weeks and we were glad to see each other. That is was also a Communion Sunday made it even more meaningful. My sermon was in conversation with Matthew’s account of the first section of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which is more…