Our scripture reading this morning is based on an ancient song of praise. “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being … read
Maybe you all had a similar experience to mine. When I was younger, often when I’d leave the house for one reason or another, my mother would call out, “Remember who you’re representing!” I’m not sure if she meant that as a joke or a warning, but either way the implication was the same: the … read
Can all mysteries be explained? Nearly sixty years ago, my aunt and uncle were married. She was a refined North Carolinian woman, the daughter of a senator, a law school graduate. She was always well read, loved cooking, and was the most gracious of hostesses. He was from Tacoma, back in the days before the … read
If you were to buy a package of sunflower seeds to snack on, and if you bit off the kernel to get to the wee seed, and if you were to look at that seed for a few seconds, you might marvel at the fact that such a plain little thing, if planted, will grow … read
While on study leave in January, I learned a new preacher’s trick: the four-page sermon, in which the sermon is structured in four parts: problem in the text, problem in the world; grace in the text, grace in the world. Now I’ll admit that the four-page sermon has been a bit of a struggle this … read