I’m currently in St Louis, attending the 223rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), our biennial national meeting. The first GA I attended was 22 years ago in Albuquerque, where we were living at the time. My son Alden was a baby in a stroller at that assembly, and he was there with me…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho Saturday, June 9, 2018 Exodus 24:12-18, Exodus 31:12-18 Our story tonight begins where last week had begun, or maybe a different perspective of the same story. God calls Moses up the mountain, where he stays, surrounded by a cloud that looked like a devouring fire.…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church on May 27, 2018 Exodus 3:1-17 Today we begin a sermon series about Moses. We will only hit some highlights (and a few lowlights). If you don’t know much about Moses, other than that he looked a lot like Charlton Heston, I hope it will inspire you to…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church April 29, 2018 Acts 17:22-31 I love this story. I love the idea of people arguing over ideas, and debating differences. I know not everyone shares my enjoyment of disagreement. I know many people prefer an absence of conflict. There was, and is, however, a tradition in Judaism…
Acts 16:12-40 A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho April 22, 2018 Last week, we heard the story about how Saul, or Paul, as he’s called here, had an encounter with the risen Jesus, and turned his life from being a persecutor of Jesus to an evangelist for Jesus. His preaching would…
The Enneagram is a tool that has helped me more than any other. It recognizes and numbers 9 (“ennea” = “nine”) different personality types and offers a path to understanding, to acceptance, and to transformation. If you’re unfamiliar with the Enneagram, I do not recommend that you take an online test to determine your number.…
A sermon preached at Southminster in Boise, Idaho April 8 2018 John 20:19-31 Today’s passage from John’s gospel tells us that that as soon as the Good News of Mary’s Easter message is shared with the disciples—“I have seen the Lord!”—as soon as they hear those words, we are told that they are hiding in…
A Good Friday Meditation at Southminster Presbyterian Church (we combine our Holy Week services with First Presbyterian. They hosted Maundy Thursday) John’s Crucifixion Narrative (John 19) The story of Jesus’ crucifixion is not an easy story to hear. It is gruesome. Reveals the depravity of humanity, our cruelty and our tendency to be led by…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho March 18, 2018 John 19:1-16a In last week’s episode, Jesus’ trial with Pontius Pilate begins. The religious leaders are looking for someone to do the dirty work of killing Jesus for them. Pilate is more concerned with keeping the peace during the religious holiday of…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho. John 18:28-40 As our story last week ended, right before this passage begins, the cock crowed, reminding Peter of his three denials of Jesus. A rooster crow also indicates morning, which means light is starting to dawn. For John’s gospel, Jesus is the light, and…
Glass Overflowing 