A few years ago my first cousin once removed on my father’s mother’s side self-published a family history entitled “Yonder Will Be Better.” It’s the story of the Clark family moving around the United States beginning in the early 1800s, from Kentucky to Mississippi to Arkansas to Missouri to California to Utah and back to … read
It’s Transfiguration Sunday, although today’s sermon has nothing to do with that particular story. It’s a transitional day, marking the end of Epiphany and next week, the beginning of Lent. In terms of our preaching texts, it’s transitional too. Some of you might be thinking “hallelujah!” as it’s our last day in the Hebrew Scriptures, … read
It’s Jazz Sunday at Westminster. It didn’t dawn on me until after I’d entitled my sermon “Hosea Sings the Blues.” A quick check with Jeff Lewis assured me that jazz’s roots are in the blues, so we’re good to go. Wanting a sermonic riff on that title, I thought about using jazz tunes as sermon … read
All this week I have wondered why in the world the Book of Jonah is in the Bible. If you took it out, you really wouldn’t miss it, though Sunday School programs would need to find a new use for all their whale flannel graphs. We might say that Biblical scholars are a bit like … read
When l was a student, I had the opportunity to spend a semester in Sweden. It began in the dark, cold month of January and ended in late May, with melted snow and long, beautiful, spring days. But at the end of my trip, I contracted a virus that went into bronchitis. This was extremely … read
What does it mean to be God’s people? Our Southern kin, upon meeting someone new, will ask, “Who are your people?” My people are the Merrills of Gray’s Corner, Maine; my people are the Henslers of Einsiedeln, Switzerland. My people are the Presbyterians. My people are Gregg and Sarah. My people are you. If God … read