Last week, I talked about the theme of hearing God’s hope. Within the church in general, the theme of the second candle we light in Advent is generally considered to be Peace. Peace is an elusive thing for us – in our culture in general and specifically in our own lives. Every one of us…
Within the church in general, the theme of the first candle we light in Advent is Hope. Hope is more than wishful thinking. It’s hearing God’s words as promise that we will be led to true freedom. You may have read these words penned by Henri Nouwen in his book Bread for the Journey: “Optimism…
While the story I am going to relate may not be 100% true, parts of it are based on facts and events that did happen. This version is from the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in San Diego. Pastor Jeremiah Steepek transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the 10,000 member church…
“Out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.” (Mt 25:25) Along with the story of the Prodigal Son, the parable of the Talents is one of those stories of Jesus that most people feel pretty sure they understand. “Stop wasting the day, get up off your…
“‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” There’s something about being ready in advance and not procrastinating. I don’t know about you, but when I have to present something, or lead a meeting or class, I really put in the time…
Galilee was outside of the mainstream of Israelite life. It wasn’t a religious or intellectual center. It had no real political power. But it was in contact with world trade and culture and consequently, it became a cosmopolitan region. People from varied ethnic backgrounds inhabited the area, making it diverse culturally and religiously. And so…
One of the most difficult parts of writing a sermon is that you have to be ready to change it due to current events, even if you’ve already gotten it written for the week. Bear with me as this is a less-polished version than the sermon I had originally written for this week. In today’s…
The opening of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians is a powerful passage on the life of the church. God in this passage is active, empowering, encouraging, and persistent in those who have turned their lives to God. God’s activity is woven through these verses of the epistle like the slow and steady changing of the…
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice” (Phil 4:4). This is Paul’s call to faith communities this Sunday. Our anxious culture needs God’s good news in this text. Rejoicing in the Lord – even in a childlike manner – is the hallmark of our Christian life. Joy is the command to all…
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired of vineyards and evil people, which is what we’ve been focused on for what seems like weeks now! One of the things that doesn’t age well with the Bible is how the references to things that were commonplace in society were used as metaphors. Maybe 2000…
Change and chance: words to describe the rather ordinary, unpromising circumstances leading to the events in two of today’s readings, from Genesis and the Gospel of John. Jacob is fleeing from a family disputeHe is tired, physically and emotionally. Apart from his family, he has no shelter. He happens upon a spot with a stone…
Today’s Gospel story is one of the more detailed of Jesus’ parables, and we hear yet another expression of what the Kingdom of heaven is like. To our minds, accustomed to wages that fit the labor, the vineyard owner’s payment practices seem totally unfair. The story itself raises internal questions which are never addressed: Were…
