A few weeks ago I read an article* entitled, “How to Feel Alive Again.” It caught my eye because it was the end of February when we are thick in our gray, drippy winter, and because I had been thinking about COVID still casting its shadow over us, and I was considering that maybe the … read
One Palm Sunday commentator used an unusual metaphor to unpack the mixed bag that was Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem: bagpipes. Writer Brian Maas tells of being called to a congregation whose tradition it was to have bagpipes lead the palm parade into the sanctuary. Although I enjoy bagpipes, I’ve never thought of them as using … read
I’m not ready for my brothers to die. I have two brothers, Kevin and Daniel. As I was preparing this sermon, I just thought about if either of them became gravely ill. What I could have done, should I have called them more. I don’t really think I’m ready for any of my loved ones … read
If I were to ask you to close your eyes and name ten things you just saw, would you be able to do it? Probably yes—either because this is such a visually stimulating place or because you’ve been here often enough that you could remember what is visible in the front of the sanctuary. If … read
Today we are going to wade into those tricky waters of super-well-known Bible verses and how they might mean something different than is thought. When something is written down in Greek two thousand years ago from an oral tradition, and no original documents exist; when people have to guess what was once written where there’s … read
There’s an upside and a downside to snow days for this preacher. The upside is—yea! Stay at home in comfy clothes, bake something, cancel some meetings, sleep in. The downside—as a personal thing—is that a closed office does not mean there won’t be some kind of worship on Sunday that necessitates writing a sermon. So … read