God and Laughter Genesis 18:1-15 The year before we moved to Portland, Gregg was working full time and I was doing little gigs here and there, my main work being parenting a young child. That meant that we could fully participate in the life of a congregation, one in our neighborhood and full of friends. … read
My dear friend Alison is one of the brightest and kindest and most thoughtful people you will ever know. She and her husband, Fred, are godparents to Sarah, and every day we wish they didn’t live on the other side of the country. A few years ago we spent our vacation with them in New … read
This morning I’d like to think and imagine with you a little, and explore the idea of God being a verb more than a noun, and what that might mean for us as we walk through our lives in faith. Talking about God is a tricky thing – and listening to a preacher talk about … read
This past spring I invited folks to let me know of scripture passages they have struggled with and would like to hear a sermon on. I didn’t get much of a response – only three, and two of them were the same passage – but that’s okay. Today’s passage from John 14 is the first … read
So picture this: Harold Kurtz, my dad, whom many of you knew, is about thirty years old. He has gone with his wife and three young daughters, including both Janie and me, to Ethiopia. He has been in language school. Now he has malaria, boomeranging from chills to fever. He wants to be part of … read
The Moth is a nonprofit group based in New York City dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. They host a radio hour and a podcast, during which people tell their stories. I recently heard one such story that I’d like to share with you this morning, as we think about what it means … read