A Sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian ChurchApril 27, 2009 Luke 24:13-48 My friends and I pass books back and forth. If there is a book we enjoy, we’ll pass it on when we’re done with it. One of my friends sent me a book a few weeks back. I read it and loved it. I…
A Sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church March 15, 2009 1 Cor 1:18-25 This passage from Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth is one of my favorites. I love it because it best illustrates Paul’s gift of radical grace. But not all Presbyterians are fans of Paul, because he is often cited only…
A sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian ChurchMarch 1, 2009 Psalm 25:1-10 This is a Labyrinth. Labyrinths are not mazes. There is no dead end on this path, just a circuitous journey to the center. The Labyrinth is an ancient symbol, appearing in many different cultures. Christianity picked up the labyrinth as a metaphor for the…
A Sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian ChurchFebruary 1, 2009 Mark 1:21-28 There’s a word that the author of Mark’s gospel uses over and over again—immediately. English translators, in an effort to make his language easier on our ears, often leave it out. As they do in this passage. But, as we read through Mark this…
Ephesians 3:1-6 Matt. 2:1-12 A Sermon preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church Boise, ID January 4, 2009 Today we are celebrating Epiphany. This is an ancient Christian celebration, dating at least as far back as the 300’s. And it is the day we celebrate the arrival of the magi, or the Eastern Wise men who came…
A Meditation from Southminster Presbyterian Church Luke 2:22-40 Our reading this morning from Luke’s gospel picks up right after our Christmas Eve story. Mary and Joseph have presumably returned from Bethlehem to Nazareth, and then when the baby was 8 days old, they named him Jesus as they had been instructed by the angel and…
Many of you have heard that President elect Obama has invited Rick Warren, pastor of the conservative Saddleback Church of California, to pray at the inauguration. Now, I do not agree with Pastor Warren on much, I suspect. We approach our faith from very different places. And I completely disagree with him on his support…
A Sermon Preached at Southminster Presbyterian Nov 30, 2008 Mark 13:24-37 Isaiah 64:1-9 For those of you who were hoping for a nice, cozy, and comfortable entrance into Advent, let me apologize right now. Our texts this morning are anything but comfortable. They are unsettling. If we’re listening, we should be both excited and horrified…
I hope that each of you has a day full of gratitude. I pray that gratitude is not just saved for one day a year, but may become the air we breathe.I just received Walter Brueggemann’s new book, “Prayers for a Privileged People”. Here is his prayer for Thanksgiving:Amid football, family, and too much food,we…
StoryCorps is declaring November 28, 2008 the first annual National Day of Listening. This holiday season, ask the people around you about their lives — it could be your grandmother, a teacher, or someone from the neighborhood. By listening to their stories, you will be telling them that they matter and they won’t ever be…
Glass Overflowing 