For the past four summers, as most of you know, I have spent time in the north of Ireland as a part of peace retreats intending to learn about and from the centuries of division in that land that culminated in violence the refer to as The Troubles and then in the Good Friday Agreement,…

The first Sunday of the month is Communion Sunday in our tradition, so my sermon ends at the Table, wandering first through the legacy of love that lets us all belong there. ____________________ One of the scenes that replays often around our house around mealtime, is Rachel my mother-in-law telling Ginger how good a cook…

I have always been drawn to the story of Jesus’ encounter with a man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years and I got to talk about it in my sermon this week. __________________________________ Our passage this morning tells an odd story. It’s odd because of where it takes place. In Jerusalem there was a…

We understand some words better when we tell stories. Here is my sermon for this week. ________________________ About fifteen years ago, when my parents were both still living, Ginger and I were in Texas seeing them as well as friends, which meant we did a good bit of driving. As we were going from Houston…

I veered from the lectionary this week to look at Jesus’ encounter with the two on the road to Emmaus, one of the stories I most love. ____________________________ One of my favorite things about reading scripture is coming across the gaps that remind us that we don’t have the whole story. We have talked about…

This is my sermon for this week, based on one of my favorite stories in the gospels, which I came to see in a new light based on the way life has been crashing down around here lately. It was a Communion Sunday for us, so my sermon led us into the meal. I hope…

My sermon this past Sunday had less to do with trying to explain Thomas and more to do with what lies beyond our fear. It’s a little site specific, since I was preaching before our congregation’s annual meeting, but I hope you find something here. __________________________ Over the past few months, I have become enamored…

My sermon for this morning. ________________________ No one remembered exactly what happened. They knew the tomb was empty when those who came to anoint the body got there—but the list of exactly who went to the tomb with Mary Magdelene differs from gospel to gospel, though all four make it clear that it was the…

My sermon this week came from the last part of Luke 14, where Jesus keeps telling parables at banquets that speak to larger things. I know these stories, but had never seen what they have to say about anger. _______________________ Today’s sermon is one of those that could use a recap like those that come…

In Luke 14, Jesus tells two stories about banquets while he is attending one—and then heals someone to boot. My sermon looked at the first parable; the second one comes next Sunday. __________________________ Have you ever noticed that Jesus went to a lot of parties? Throughout the gospels, as much as there are stories about…