A sermon preached at Calvary Presbyterian Church in San Francisco, CA June 20, 2021 1 Samuel 17:1a, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49, Mark 4:35-41 I recognize myself in this David and Goliath story. And I am not David. I know I am supposed to like this story. It shows David being faithful and courageous, trusting that God…
Here is the statement we shared in worship this morning at Calvary Presbyterian Church. Last week, we spoke these words together from the Confession of Belhar: —that the church must therefore stand by people in any form of suffering and need, which implies, among other things, that the church must witness against and strive against…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian on November 24, 2019 2 Kings 22:1-10, [14-20]; 23:1-3 Next week we begin our Star Wars themed Advent series. Here’s a teaser: As the intro video reminded us with a quick history lesson, Israel and Judah split, the Northern kingdom fell to Assyria. King Hezekiah instituted reforms, but…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church Boise, Idaho Matthew 4:1-17 Just last week, you heard the story of Jesus being baptized by John in the Jordan River. God’s voice spoke from heaven about how Jesus was God’s beloved son, in whom God was well pleased. And in the very next verse, with which our…
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.…
I’ve always believed that language matters. For example, I never refer to someone who is here without documentation as an “illegal”. People cannot be illegal. Their political status may be undocumented. Their behavior may break laws. Their very existence, however, is not a crime. The language we use to describe people orders the way we…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho October 16, 2016 1 Samuel 1:1-11, 19-20; 2:1-11 The Ark of the Covenant resided in Shiloh. It was here that Elkanah and his two wives, Penninah and Hannah, would come to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts. And, each year, as they…
I went ahead and contacted one of my aunts and uncles (my birth mother’s youngest sister and husband). They did not know I existed, but have been kind enough to answer some of my questions about the family genealogy. They have sent me two books of family history, including photos of people who had previously…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church Boise, Idaho October 2, 2016 Exodus 12:1-13 and 13:1-9 In last week’s episode, 400 years ago, the Book of Genesis ended with the struggles of the family of Jacob being wrapped up with a neat bow. And the Israelites thrived in Egypt. They followed God’s Promise to be…
I spoke Sunday evening at a peace vigil in response to last week’s shootings of unarmed black men in Baton Rouge and a Minneapolis suburb. You can read my remarks here. As I was preparing my words, and even as I was waiting to speak, I felt like a fraud. I wasn’t sure why I was…
Glass Overflowing 