Years ago, I was amused by the woman who pointed out that the Trinity is not an Old Man, a Young Man, and a Bird. And, since then, I have thought about part of God the Holy Spirit reveals. Father Richard Rohr has a wonderful litany of the Holy Spirit that lists many names for … read
Twenty-something years ago, when I was in seminary going through the care process of becoming ordained, I was meeting with the Presbytery committee that oversaw us ministerial candidates. They were examining me via my statement of faith, in which I had described God, who; Jesus, who; and the Holy Spirit, which. Well, there was this … read
The sermon we usually hear for this passage is about Thomas—his doubting or not. But the preaching theme at Westminster this Eastertide until Pentecost is “Who is the Holy Spirit?” So I’m a tiny bit smug about getting to preach this Second Sunday of Easter, because the traditional gospel lesson for this day is this … read
Presbyterian pastor and scholar Craig Barnes says this about Easter. “No one is ever ready to encounter Easter until he or she has spent time in the dark place where hope cannot be seen. Easter is the last thing we are expecting. And that is why it terrifies us. This day is not about bunnies, … read
This morning we’re going to take a look at Jesus, which seems an appropriate thing to do at the beginning of our Holy Week. It’s a big picture look, a look from far away – the kind the astronauts have when they’re in space and see the earth as the sum of its parts, and … read
“Pray. Love your enemy and pray for those who harm you.” Are you familiar with Brené Brown, researcher and writer? She studied shame for six years before she really began writing about it. In a TED Talk, she said: “Shame is a horrible topic.No one wants to talk about it.It’s the best way to shut … read