It is an odd relationship–the way ministers often act as agents of the state to sign civil marriage licenses. We can’t sign any other documents on behalf of the state. But hundreds of years ago, when marriages all (mostly) took place in churches, we entrenched the two acts–the act of the church in joining people…
Tonight in worship, we wrote notes to Emanuel AME Zion Church in Charleston. Here is the letter we signed and sent: Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ; We offer our sympathies and our prayers as you mourn the deaths of nine members of your family and as you recover from the violation of the safety…
Presidential candidate and former Florida Governor, Jeb Bush, wrote a book in 1995 that included a chapter called, “The Restoration of Shame”. He seems to believe that if we spent more time shaming people, we would have a better society. “One of the reasons more young women are giving birth out of wedlock and more…
Yesterday in worship I experienced one of those moments that was both amazingly wonderful and kind of awkward at the same time. Rev Vincent Lachina, the Chaplain for Planned Parenthood of the Northwest, and Mistie Tolman, the Regional Field Organizer for Planned Parenthood Votes, based in Boise, presented me with an award. From their website:…
A sermon preached on Pentecost at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho May 24, 2015 Acts 2:1-21 Ezekiel 37:1-14 I read and preach these texts every year. They are some of my favorite passages of scripture. And just when I think I understand them, and that I’ve got them figured out, the Holy Spirit starts…
Grace is tricky. Particularly Divine Grace. It is a gift of mercy and love given by God because of God’s own goodness, not because of the particular merit or worth of the person who receives it. I remember the moment (and it was a particular moment in time) when I understood that God’s love, mercy,…
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’ve blogged about my conflicted relationship with Mother’s Day before. Each year I implore my clergy colleagues to stop celebrating Mother’s Day in worship. It is a Hallmark holiday, not a liturgical one. And Mother’s Day is a painful day for many people already. Let’s not make it worse. Anyway. I digress. This Mother’s Day,…
A Sabbath Sermon from Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho Psalm 23 (trans. by Robert Alter) The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. In grass meadows He makes me lie down, by quiet waters guides me. My life He brings back. He leads me on pathways of justice for His name’s sake. Though…
Today I had the privilege of offering the Benediction at the Idaho Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony at the Capitol. Here’s how organizers describe the event: On April 18, 1982, Idaho Governor John Evans signed a proclamation establishing Idaho’s first statewide observation of Holocaust Remembrance. Each year, at ceremonies like this across the nation, the Days of…
Glass Overflowing 