A sermon preached at Southminster on May 5, 2019 Acts 10, Ephesians 2 We’re a few weeks after Easter right now. And while the news of the empty tomb and sightings of our risen Lord are good news, being Easter people is hard. Trusting in the truth of resurrection when the lies of death are…
A Maundy Thursday reflection Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho Matthew 26:14-75 1 Corinthians 12 The story of this night has a weight to it that I feel in my body. I hear Judas offer to betray Jesus for money and hope that this time, he’ll make a different choice, he’ll realize his error before…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho. March 31, 2019 Matthew 25:1-13 Let me start out by saying I’m opposed to the very premise of this parable, opposed to the idea that women should be sitting around in the dark, just waiting for some guy to show up. I know, I know.…
I’ve been thinking about my birth mother lately. Maybe because thinking is all I really can do. She doesn’t want to be in a relationship with me, and even if she did, she’s not in very good health. Maybe I’ve been thinking about her because her 91st birthday is around the corner. My birth mother…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho March 24, 2019 Matthew 22:1-14 Parables do not have only one interpretation. So hear this invitation to reach your own interpretation of this story that is at odds with mine. Do I wish Jesus were clearer in his teachings? Most days, my answer to that…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho Transfiguration Sunday, March 3, 2019 Matthew 16:24-17-12 Welcome to Transfiguration Sunday, the day we ponder the experience the disciples have, and the experiences we have, on the mountain tops of our life. Some of you have heard 11 years of Transfiguration sermons from me, and…
This morning I read Trump’s former personal attorney, and convicted felon Michael D Cohen’s testimony to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. You can read it here. This morning I’m listening to it. I’m struck by a few comments he made, and which have come up in questioning too. Mr. Trump is an enigma.…
In a recent op-ed, Senator Brent Hill argued against adding the words “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” to Idaho Human Rights codes, unless people can be exempted from human rights for religious reasons. He said: “the only viable solution is a balanced approach” and we should be “seeking fairness rather than unilateral advantage”. With language…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho February 9, 2019 Matthew 7:1-14, 24-29 This passage, like last week’s, is continuing with Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount. I don’t know about you, but I hear this section of the Sermon and think, “really, Jesus? Are you sure about this? We…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho February 3, 2019 Matthew 6:19-21-25-34 Our passage today comes from the middle of a big section of Jesus’ teachings in Matthew’s gospel. It almost feels like Jesus set up a chalkboard and said “class is in session” and then lectured for 4 days. I’m sure…
Glass Overflowing 