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…
With thanks to Anne Lamott, Broderick Greer, and a few other things I have read and prayers I have heard and spoken, here is the invocation I gave today at the General Assembly luncheon of the Covenant Network. Thank you to Jessica Vasquez Torres, Bruce Reyes-Chow, Jerrod Lowery, and Denise Anderson for the important conversation…
Here’s a video of the sermon: Here’s the video of the entire worship service: A sermon preached at the closing worship service of the Covenant Network Conference, Unity Matters. Nov 7, 2015 at Central Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado. 2 Cor 5:16-21; 6:1-2 Isaiah 65: 17-25 +++++ You’ve come a long way, baby. Many of…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho May 10, 2015 John 15: 9-17 Abide. That was the word that stuck with me all week from this short passage. To remain. To continue. To stay. To dwell. To reside. To put up with. To tolerate. To withstand. To wait for. In ways both…
I just read a post about the upcoming General Assembly of the PCUSA. “Shall the Fundamentalists Win“. Chris Currie, a fellow PCUSA pastor I haven’t yet met, although I hope to soon, revisits the Fundamentalist/Modernist Controversy of almost 100 years ago. His conclusion seems to be that those of us seeking marriage equality in the…
Five years ago, my first year at Southminster, we celebrated Baptism of Our Lord in worship. In the sermon, I mentioned that by being baptized, we join with Christ in his baptism. And God is, therefore, also speaking to us when God’s voice shreds the heavens apart to yell “This is my beloved child, in…
This past week I was in Chicago for the Covenant Network of Presbyterian’s Conference “Marriage Matters”. I led a workshop on the relationship between civil and religious marriage. This is the link to the Prezi from my talk. While it doesn’t have everything that was discussed in the great workshop, it has much of it.…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho by Rev Brian Ellison, Executive Director of the Covenant Network. Luke 7:1-10 Sunday, June 2, 2013 I have heard, over the years since you called my friend Marci to be your pastor, about this church. I’ve heard of your commitment to welcoming all people into…
I am up early this morning, waiting to hear for news from the Supreme Court on marriage equality. But as I wait, I am thinking about a conversation earlier this week at the Idaho State Capitol, when there was a presentation to a senate and house committee on why we should include sexual orientation and…
Glass Overflowing 