Every year when Trinity Sunday comes around, I find myself thinking about the first children’s sermon I ever gave. It was nearly 30 years ago when I was a field ed student during my first year of seminary. Long before I knew the impossibilities of theological math, I thought I had the perfect object lesson.… Read More
RCL: The Challenge to Love
I’m having some difficulties with these texts this week. It’s the third anniversary of my mother’s death and my grief is complicated. And the things happening in the world that displace such callous indifference to human lives brings the angry cynic out in me. I’m working to contain these feelings as I read these texts… Read More
RCL: The On-Going Story Continues
Throughout Lent, I’ve been contemplating the power of stories – biblical stories, ancient stories, personal stories, fictional stories, mythical stories, new stories, my story, written stories, oral stories, poetic stories, musical stories, all kinds of stories. There’s power in words. Sometimes we forget the power words have. Sometimes we’re too busy or too burdened to… Read More
RCL: Foolishness, Wisdom, and Community
Usually, Lent calms me. I realize that it’s okay, even necessary, to acknowledge my brokenness, my sharp edges, my weak places, and my overall need for God’s power and presence. It’s not working this year. Maybe because I have stopped trying to cover over or ignore those parts of me that aren’t so pretty or… Read More
RCL: T-fig – Terror, Tabernacle, & Travel On
This was originally posted on Write Out of Left Field. The trudge up the mountain can be exhausting. After feeding four thousand people, witnessing Jesus open the eyes of a blind man, a startling recognition of Jesus as Messiah, and some teachings about what it means to be a disciple, climbing a high mountain seems… Read More
Wednesday Prayer
A Pastor’s Prayer on the Edge of Lent Slow me down, O God. I am in a rush, burdened with deadlines and deaths, yearning for downtime and delight. Slow me down long enough to see you right now. Not tomorrow, not in my dreams, not on that mountaintop looming large, but right now in my… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: The Do or Die Edition
Sometimes the lectionary texts present more challenge than I feel ready to accept. This is one of those weeks. Here in Minnesota we are digging out from the largest snowfall in years. For today that means people are taking things a bit slower and the world is covered in the cleanliness of new-fallen snow. And… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: The Moving On (or Not) Edition
I don’t know about you, but I’m not quite ready to leave behind the myth, mysticism, and miracle that Christmas is. I want to linger a bit longer under the Star and listen more closely to the whispers in Bethlehem’s streets and back alleys. I want to hold onto the innocence of a babe lying… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: The Wake Up Edition
“Keep awake,” says Jesus. It’s yawn, stretch, and get moving time. Advent is here and there is much work to be done. There’s no time for napping or hitting the snooze button. It’s stand up on your tip toes, bounce with excitement, and get ready time. It doesn’t matter how tired we are or the… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: The You are Holy (so act like it) Edition
Pick a text, any text, this week and we’re confronted with who we are and how we are to be in this world. It can be a celebratory experience – we are holy because God is holy! And it can be a humbling experience – do we really love our neighbors as ourselves? In Deuteronmy… Read More
