Today I’m going to do something I’ve never done before, and probably won’t do again—I’m going to preach from this one great psalm and about 1,000 index cards that over 100 of us wrote our worries and hopes on late last year. New year, new goals, I guess, but let’s start with the psalm, so … read
As you may know, Christmas has passed. Big shock, I know. There are not in fact, 28 days of Advent. This means that we, or at least, I, am looking out onto the next holiday: New Year’s. Personally, I love to celebrate New Year’s. I like to take stock of my life, think about the … read
As you read from Isaiah, I’d encourage you to look at the bulletin cover piece, called “Blossoming Desert,” by artist Hannah Garrity… what do you recognize there? What is confusing? What seems scary or joyful? Isaiah is a frequent scripture as the calendar year closes, as Christmas nears. There is repeated beautiful imagery of peace, … read
We have been exploring the phrase “be not afraid” during this Advent season because Advent is often associated with “awaiting”—and when Jesus did arrive, people who had been waiting for Jesus probably felt a little bit of worry, a little bit of anxiety. But they weren’t worried because they thought that Jesus was coming to … read
The English language can be so arbitrary and capricious. Take, for instance, the spelling of my sermon title, “Gloom, Doom, Tomb, Womb.” Despite their spelling, the words all rhyme. Doom and gloom are both o-o-m, while tomb and womb are o-m-b. But don’t assume either c-o-m-b or b-o-m-b will rhyme. Tomb, comb, bomb. English! While … read
My preaching professor in seminary, the Rev. Dr. Charles Campbell, was also my advisor, so he said a lot of things that struck me and stuck with me. The one that is on my mind when we read from a known prophet is: Never trust a prophet who always enjoys the job. I’m still unpacking … read