A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho February 24, 2018 John 13:1-17 I try to understand Simon Peter. I want to understand him. He’s impetuous and wears it all on his sleeve. He says things the rest of us may be thinking, but aren’t bold enough to say out loud. Lord? Are…
In the wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, there has been rhetoric about making schools “harder”. The idea seems to be that if teachers (or other school employees) are packing heat, the bad guys won’t target those schools. President Trump wants to arm the “highly adept” or “weapons…
The I am From Project has a poem template to encourage conversation. They write: We want to be heard, not herded; we want to speak, not be spoken at or for; we want to break through stereotypes, profiling, and dismissal to be listened to in our full humanity. I encourage you to check out the resources…
An Ash Wednesday Meditation Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho John 10:1-18 Psalm 23 In John’s gospel, Jesus is known for making pronouncements. In the other gospels, he spends a lot of time teaching, or speaking in parables. But here, he just announces things that are seemingly disconnected from the action going on around him.…
William Stafford’s poem, “The Way it is”, is my companion on this first day of a new year. The Way It Is There’s a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread. But it is hard…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian in Boise, Idaho. Ezekiel 37:1-14 December 9, 2017 Our passage from Ezekiel’s prophecy is full of evocative language and imagery. We can picture a valley where life is nowhere to be seen. Cracked and parched earth, piles of bones wherever you look. And what can we do in…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho. December 3, 2017 Daniel 3 King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue whose height was sixty cubits and whose width was six cubits. If my biblical math is correct, that’s about 90 feet tall, and about 9 feet wide, which is maybe not a hallmark of…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho Nov 11, 2017 Amos 5 What does justice look like to you? The image of justice in our nation is of a woman, with a blindfold, holding scales that are perfectly balanced, equitably balanced, just. I’ve always liked this image of Lady Justice. She’s strong.…
The “me too” campaign may have taken 10 years before it really caught fire, but now that so many stories of harassment, assault, and rape are coming out, I’m feeling in equal measure hopeful and horrified. I’m hopeful because when this behavior is brought to the light, it loses it’s power to do damage in…
I recently dressed like Wonder Woman at our church’s Trunk or Treat event. It was great fun. I’ve been planning the costume since I saw the film in the theater. Hours before the event, however, this conversation took place in my mind. Voice: You shouldn’t wear that costume. You were going to lose weight over…
Glass Overflowing 