Sermons

In his 1973 poem “Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front,” Wendell Berry admonishes us with these words: “So, friends, every day do something that won’t compute.Love the Lord.Love the world. Work for nothing.Take all that you have and be poor.Love someone who does not deserve it.…Practice resurrection.” That last line stuck with me from the … read

For many of us, one of the hardest or worst things about this pandemic shutdown has been not being able to say goodbye to those who have died. It still feels a bit unreal that I’ll not see Dick Hensley again in that pew where he always sat, or see Kris Wolf ringing bells or … read

A few weeks ago I was looking at those first worship videos we made last year, when the great shutdown began. I watched the Easter video, which ended with short clips from so many in our Westminster community wishing each other a Happy Easter, and so many of us said, “See you soon!” That felt … read

I pray. I place my hands on the pulpit and feel the wood. I sense my feet firmly planted on the floor. I look up and see the stained-glass windows. I hear the soft sound of the blower behind me. I taste the peppermint I just finished. I breathe in the unique scent of this … read

A few months ago, I started seeing references to something called “the nap ministry.” I made assumptions about what it was – an encouragement for folks to take naps. What I wonderful thing, I thought, as someone who is a big believer in naps. But as often happens with our beliefs, be they in naps … read

Years ago, a dear friend gave me a copy of the book Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz. If you don’t know the book or haven’t seen the movie, it’s a story set in Emperor Nero’s Rome, a sweeping tale of romance and morality and, yes, faith. The phrase “quo vadis” is Latin, and it means, … read