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Blog
19 Jan Our Belief in God….And Why it Matters
“I believe in God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.” This is the opening line of the Apostles’ Creed, that ancient confession of the Church that expresses what it means to be a Christian. For centuries, the existence of God was assumed to be...
12 Jan Why it Matters What We Believe
January 12, 2017 This coming Sunday I am starting a new sermon series on the Apostles’ Creed. Rather, the sermon series is really about belief—the nature of belief, what we believe and why, and most importantly, what difference our beliefs make in...
05 Jan Christ Dwells Among us as we Ring in the New Year
While I am away, two final poems as the Christmas season ends and the New Year begins. The Master by Jane Tyson Clement He who has come to men dwells where we cannot tell nor sight reveal him, until the hour has struck when the small heart does break with hunger for...
30 Dec Infusing Sacred Traditions with New Ideas
Once every few years Christmas Day falls on a Sunday. At Calvary that means that last weekend we were in church Saturday night for the traditional Christmas Eve service and again the following day for the Christmas Day service. In the interest of families having...
22 Dec The Gift of God’s Presence was Felt in Worship
When I was a kid, I always felt deflated the day after Christmas, like a balloon that had just had all the air let out of it. Gone were the magic and anticipation. There were no more special cookies to bake or parties to attend. ...
15 Dec Advent Peace Breaks Into a Broken World
One of the things I love about December is that it is an extravaganza for the senses. As soon as I walk in my front door the delicious scent of a Frasier Fir tree greets me. My nose leads me past the tree to the...
08 Dec Learning to Listen Through the Lens of Faith
Most weeks after worship I offer a 30-minute “let’s talk about what we just heard” experience that I call Sermon Talk Back. It is very informal, highly interactive, and I love it. I love it because it lets me know what folks in my congregation...
01 Dec Experiencing the Presence of God
Several weeks ago someone in my church shared this quote with me. It has been on top of my “inbox” ever since, and every so often it catches my attention and I read it again. Today I realized what an apt description of Advent it...
23 Nov Advent Series at Calvary: Names of the Messiah
As is the case for every minister I know, long before the Thanksgiving turkey goes in the oven we are already thinking about Advent. This is especially true when the first Sunday of Advent falls on Thanksgiving weekend, as it does this year. It sometimes...