Down by the riverside I laid my burdens down and I'm travelin' light
Posted in Sermon Notes on Mar 14th, 2021
Lent Sermon Series: Again and Again… God Loves First John 3:1-21, NRSV Reflections Nicodemus is not a special case. No one knows where the Spirit comes from or where it goes. No one. The only thing that sets Nicodemus apart is that he is so uncomfortable with his unknowing. His problem is that he thinks […]
Posted in Sermon Notes on Jun 18th, 2016
The Gift of Life Together 2 Corinthians 2:1-17, NRSV Reflections People take time. But in our haste, we size them up or cut them down to what we take to be a more manageable size, labeling people instead of trying to hear, understand or welcome them. And we love our labels as ourselves even as […]
Posted in Sermon Notes on Jun 16th, 2016
Sermon Series: Welcome of Resurrection Doubters Welcome John 20: 19-31, NRSV Psalm 56:1-4; 8-11, NRSV Reflections I’m grateful to be a practicing Christian. I’m always amazed when people say, “I’m a Christian.” I think, “Already?” It’s an ongoing process. You know, you keep trying. And blowing it and trying and blowing it. — Maya Angelou […]
Posted in Sermon Notes on Jan 24th, 2016
A Song in the Desert Deuteronomy 5:1-6; 6:4-9, NRSV Mark 12:28-31, NRSV Reflections What I have called repetition in the Bible might most accurately be called rhythm: a carefully shaped set of recurrent stories and words that when studied closely erupts with meaning. The repetition I have in the past considered to be merely mechanical, […]
Posted in Sermon Notes on Jul 18th, 2015
Psalms: Songs for All of Life Praise Psalm 146: 1-10, NRSV Reflections The world rings with praise — lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favourite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favourite game — praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, […]
Posted in Sermon Notes on May 14th, 2015
The Story of God: Mission Acts 13:1-3; 14:8-20, NRSV Reflections No culture is so advanced and so superior that it can claim exclusive access or advantage to the truth of God, and none so marginal that it can be excluded. All have merit; none is indispensable. The ethical monotheism Christianity inherited from Judaism accords value […]
Posted in Sermon Notes on May 13th, 2015
What The Bible Says and Doesn’t Say Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, NRSV 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, NRSV Romans 1:26-27, NRSV Reflections for the foreseeable future we must find ways to live within the church in a situation of serious moral disagreement while still respecting one another as brother and sisters in Christ. If the church is going […]
Posted in Sermon Notes on Mar 1st, 2015
The Story of God: Forgiveness Matthew 18:15-35, NRSV Reflections When Christ’s promise defines possibilities, memories of the traumatic past become for us just that — memories of one segment of our past. They need not colonize the present nor invade the future by defining what we can do and become. Past wrongdoing suffered can be […]
Posted in Sermon Notes on Dec 6th, 2014
The Story of God: Hope Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:2-4; 3:17-19, NRSV Matthew 26:36-38, NRSV Reflections As I have grown old, my feelings about God have tapered down to gratitude and hope. Gratitude is the pleasure of hope come true. Hope is the pain of gratitude postponed. Gratitude comes easy, on its own steam, whenever we know […]
Traveling Light Relay
Down by the riverside I laid my burdens down and I'm travelin' light