Nothing ensures a wandering mind during the sermon quite like the topic of wealth and poverty. I do wonder how Jesus’ audiences heard all these parables—if they, too tuned out; if they were poor and gave him shouts of encouragement; if they were rich and got mad or felt guilty or changed their ways. As … read
Last month, many of us mourned the death of Frederick Buechner, the famed Presbyterian pastor and author, but we were consoled that his words will outlive him and continue to inspire us. So in my next few sermons, you’ll hear something from Buechner that adds cohesion to the sermon. I hope! Buechner once wrote, “The … read
This week’s scripture reading reminds me of a story that preacher Debie Thomas told about her father’s early childhood in rural India. Her grandparents were devoted members of their church, and it was often the case that elders and preachers spontaneously showed up at their home for lunch after Sunday services. Food was scarce in … read
What does it mean to be free? Several years ago, our beloved Clayton Rice, a retired Presbyterian minister and an unretiring character, said something to me about the Assurance of Pardon. He said he wished the language included a word or two about forgiveness freeing us to be the people of God. And so I … read
This week I began reading a book that has come up in conversation several times in the past few weeks. Jesus and John Wayne, by Kristin Kobes Du Mez, recounts the history of the white evangelical church in the U.S., and how, in the author’s opinion, white evangelical church leaders corrupted a faith and fractured … read
Someone once observed that “[worry] is like a toddler. It never stops talking, tells you you’re wrong about everything, and wakes you up at 3 a.m.” This morning we’re going to look at some treasured words from scripture, the invitation to consider the ravens and the lilies. Beneath those gentle words is a rather strong … read