Down by the riverside I laid my burdens down and I'm travelin' light
Posted in Sermon Notes on May 14th, 2015
The Story of God: Hope Romans 5:1-11, NRSV Reflections Hope: an encounter that captivates our imagination so we can’t help but become more than who we thought we were, and find ourselves living for something that is all at once preposterous and impossible. — Cheryl Lawri We all want a God who would be with […]
Posted in Sermon Notes on May 13th, 2015
The Story of God: Hosanna Matthew 21:1-17, NRSV Reflections Each Sunday is Palm Sunday. Every Sunday we tell the story, remembering the Kingdom of Heaven. Remembering its cost. Remembering its promise. Processing down to the table. Telling the old stories — remembering, rehearsing, doing the theatre. Without the story we are lost. God is nothing […]
Posted in Sermon Notes on Dec 6th, 2014
The Story of God: A Difficult Descent 2 Kings 5:1-19, NRSV Matthew 18:2-3, NRSV Reflections If I had to name my disability, I would call it an unwillingness to fall. On the one hand, this is perfectly normal. I do not know anyone who likes to fall. But, on the other hand, this reluctance signals […]
Posted in Sermon Notes on Jun 30th, 2014
Series: The Ten CommandmentsThe First Commandment: No Other Gods Exodus 20:1-3, NRSV Matthew 22:34-40, NRSV Reflections Anything can serve as a counterfeit god, especially the very best things in life… A counterfeit god is anything so central and essential to your life that, should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living. [It] […]
Posted in Sermon Notes on Jun 30th, 2014
Promised Power Acts 2:1-21, NRSV Reflections Anewkind offire, andnew speechbrought to voice:words that are flamesthrough walls that divide;language that’s praise sungin harmonies of the Spirit;inclusive vocabulary of love.Drink deep the new wine offreedom, all slaves. Dreamas equals, world’s sons anddaughters. See the visionsof the kingdom of peace.Wherever wind blowsthe Spirit will flow:the fire thatquenchesourthirstforGod’s love. — Andrew […]
Posted in Sermon Notes on Apr 29th, 2014
Jesus Appears to Thomas John 20:19-31, NRSV Reflections It is not as a boy that I believe in Christ and confess him, but my hosanna has passed through a great furnace of doubts. — Fyodor Dostoevskyfrom an entry in his personal notebook Competing realities: Our own introspection vs outside world New reality for disciples after […]
Posted in Sermon Notes on Mar 16th, 2014
Series: Lord of Lent Tears at the Tomb John 11: 17-44, NRSV Reflections To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it […]
Posted in Sermon Notes on Jan 30th, 2014
A Miracle of Another Kind John 2:13-25, NRSV Reflections In the act of cleansing the temple, he (Jesus) cleansed people’s understanding, purged their imagination–an exorcism so that the people, clear-eyed on the matter of God’s sovereign authority, would be able to embrace salvation without distraction, without clutter. — Eugene Peterson Zeal of Jesus, Zeal of […]
Traveling Light Relay
Down by the riverside I laid my burdens down and I'm travelin' light