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…
Thanks to the winter storm that affected almost half the country, we had a virtual worship service once again this week. The verses from Matthew tell the story of Jesus calling some of his first followers, asking them to literally drop what they are doing and go catch people. Here is what I said. _______________________…
I know the saying is that necessity is the mother of invention, but I find, when it comes to cooking, that the pantry plays a pretty big role. From time to time, I take inventory just to see what I have and what needs to be used up. What gave birth to this recipe is…
Church got snowed out in Connecticut last Sunday—or at least our in-person worship did. I ended up recording my sermon from home and sharing it on YouTube, as many congregations learned how to do during the pandemic. Rather than following the lectionary, I am working my way through Matthew’s gospel, so this week’s sermon looks…