I have a confession to make, and this is a risky thing for a preacher to say out loud: Advent may well be my least favorite church season to preach. Ironically, I love Advent from a personal/family/worship standpoint, but preaching the story of Mary, Joseph...
Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, For in so doing, some have entertained angels unaware. Hebrews 13:1-2 What comes to mind when you hear the word “angel”? For some people, thoughts of chubby, sweet-faced cherubs immediately pop up. For others, their images...
Christmas. Just say the word and we all have different reactions. So often we race through December, checking the boxes and frantically trying get it all done. (I love to say that perfection is the enemy of done!) I love to SAY it. Putting it into...
I woke up on Monday in a near-total panic. The voice in my head was screeching at triple-fortissimo, “Oh my heavens, it’s December and I have no idea what I’m preaching on Sunday, much less what my theme for Advent is.” [Editor’s note: some people...
Happy Thanksgiving! Gratitude is a deeply spiritual discipline, one that people of faith all around the world are encouraged to practice regularly. But I am still glad we have a special day devoted to gratitude in the United States. Yes, it is also a day...
Another week, another shooting. More lives shattered by violence. Another community stunned by the reality that it doesn’t just happen “to somebody else.” To the countless prayers that have been offered, I invite us to take a moment now to pray yet again. Merciful God, we...
As many people have noted this week, only 35 days elapsed between the mass shooting in Las Vegas and the events of this past Sunday in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Once again our lives have been abruptly, horribly disrupted by an incident of gun violence that...
I recently spent a week at the beach. It was my first time to ever be at the beach in late autumn, and I had no idea what I was missing. The weather was perfect, and the beach was deserted. There was virtually no traffic,...
I hate squirrels. Really, really hate them. Not all squirrels, mind you. Just the ones that like to hang out on my deck, dig up my recently planted bulbs, and tear up my beautifully potted, not inexpensive perennials. These squirrels, the ones that think they...
This past Sunday we finished a 17-week sermon series on Moses and the Old Testament book of Exodus. I loved preaching this series. I had wanted to preach on Moses for at least a couple of years, and from my perspective, his story lived up...