Preachers, it is the second Sunday after Epiphany (you may find the texts here), and we are still in posture of exploration and discovery. Now that Christ has come and has been revealed to us, we’re still coming to understand what that means. I’m very much attracted to the story of the wedding at… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: Singing and Sacrifice
It’s the last Sunday in Advent. We’re rounding third (or fourth, if we’re talking Sundays) and heading for home this week. Get excited! The Revised Common Lectionary Year C Advent readings focus a lot on John the Baptist and his life, and we don’t even get to Mary until week 4. We finally meet her… Read More
The Pastoral Is Political: Church Membership and Politics
I’m a Presbyterian Church (USA) Teaching Elder. For those outside the PC(USA) universe, we’ve been pretty enthralled lately, thanks to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Mr. Trump has been saying things lately. Strange things. Inflammatory things. Things about immigrants, refugees, Muslims, and the disabled, just to name a few. But, for PC(USA)-ers, among the strangest… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: Reign of Christ Edition
With Thanksgiving in the United States coming later in the week, some may be working from a different set of texts. Others of you might be balancing Thanksgiving, Reign of Christ, and the tail end of stewardship season this week. God be with you brave souls! But for now, let’s focus on this week’s Reign… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: Eye Spy
There’s much talk about sight, seeing, and the opening of eyes in this week’s RCL readings. I must say that sometimes I’m uncomfortable preaching from stories about the blind gaining (or regaining) their sight. Not being disabled or differently-abled myself, I have a pastoral concern about hermeneutics that haven’t been sensitive to those with disabilities. I’m… Read More
Peeking Behind the Curtain
I remember as a child learning that the cartoons I watched were actually a series of drawings crafted to look like they were moving. I remember learning the voices of my favorite characters belonged to regular people. And I remember my jaw dropping when I learned it took literally years and hundreds of individuals to create my favorite animated… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: Eshet Chayil!
How are you reading this week’s texts? Personally, I dreaded this week because of the Proverbs text. Not that I have a problem with it — okay, it’s been read and preached on at a few too many Women’s Day celebrations I’ve attended. And after doing all that she does and exhibiting all the qualities… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: Labor Pangs
***The following is a shortened and redacted version of my sermon from yesterday, the full audio of which can be found here.*** Today is Labor Day here in the US. It’s the day set aside to acknowledge the social and economic achievements and contributions of the American worker. It was first promoted in the late 19th… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: Will God Indeed Dwell on Earth?
One thing is for sure, RCL preachers: We’ve got some great preaching potential in this week’s readings. If you want to draw from narrative, you have Solomon’s prayer in the newly-built temple after the placement of the Ark of the Covenant. You’ve also got Joshua’s rousing address to Israel’s leaders as their covenant with the… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: Fighters, Fathers, and Followers
Boy, we’ve got our hands full with this week’s Revised Common Lectionary readings. So many choices! Where do we even go this week? Do we preach from the military epic that is David’s defeat of Goliath? Do we talk about Saul’s mental health and paranoia regarding the burgeoning young king David? On this Father’s Day (in the… Read More
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