Our Money Story – Remember
Every single one of us has a money story, whether we are aware of it or not. We might be living a story based on anxiety or guilt. We might be living a story that the church is irrelevant. We might be living a story that our choices will not have any impact on the […]
Slave to the System
This parable hits right where it hurts, doesn’t it? I bet you’re thinking, why yes, it does–it brings up all sorts of resistance inside of me, and I don’t understand why you picked such an awful gospel reading this morning. In fact, you might be wondering why in the world Jesus would tell a story […]
Claimed in Public
Introduction: Back in December, Andrew and I began discussing a three-week sermon series on democracy and faith. We were both thinking about how to spiritually prepare and respond as Christians in the weeks leading up to and following the presidential inauguration. I am shocked, but not surprised, that as we start this journey together our […]
Again and Again, God Meets Us
Sing: Oh God, you are closer than we are to ourselves. Draw us closer to you. Today is the first Sunday of the season of Lent, our annual forty day spiritual journey into the wilderness where we encounter God and ourselves in meaningful ways. Andrew and I will serve as your travel guides during Lent, […]
Practice A Holy Lent – Ash Wednesday
All those days you felt like dust, like dirt, as if all you had to do was turn your face toward the wind and be scattered to the four corners or swept away by the smallest breath as insubstantial— did you not know what the Holy One can do with dust? The words of Jesus […]
Again and Again, God Loves First
John 3:16 is arguably the most memorized verse in the Bible, and arguably the most misunderstood. It appears, on its own, as if the rest of the dialogue and the story around this single statement of Jesus is the good news in a nutshell. But without the rest of the conversation, this sentence is left […]
Again and Again, the Sun Rises
The world has learned to grieve in new ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Egypt, family members are not allowed to wash the bodies of their deceased loved ones before burial. In India, mourners cannot have funeral pyres in the Ganges River. Attending a wake and sitting shiva in person are out of the question, […]
Jesus Is Our Nurselog
Two weeks ago, I was in Mount Hood National Forest with my father in law in Oregon. As we hiked, we saw trillium in bloom, smelled the unmistakable scent of skunk cabbage, and heard the sound of water rushing over the rocks of the Salmon River. But what struck me the most about this hike […]
Where Are You?
The story of the first man and woman in the book of Genesis has generated significant confusion and spiritual trauma because of poor interpretation. Among this laundry list of sins are societal evils such as misogyny, queerphobia, and religious manipulation. Church leaders have blamed Eve for introducing sin into the world and destroying the bliss […]
Pentecostal Power
The winds howl, the tongues of fire descend – I can feel those Marvel-esque superpowers about to descend on those disciples so they can change the world! Send us that Spirit that can shake the rafters, blow through the streets, upend systemic oppression, clean house and our hearts. Come on Holy Spirit. We need that Pentecost […]