The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. Old Problems and New Beginnings By now the last of the leaves have likely fallen from trees in northern climes, and any still holding on look dry and dead. Snow has arrived, and its thick blanket shows the stains…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon What’s in Your Wallet? Not Enough. Say the word stewardship in some congregations and people are protectively guarding their wallets faster than you can say “pledge card!” Unfortunately, too often we associate stewardship exclusively with issues of money. The…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. Expensive Wedding. Expensive Grace. On a recent reality TV show entitled Wedding Wars, engaged couples competed for a complete wedding wardrobe. The winning couple received the bride’s dress and the groom’s tuxedo as well as proper attire for their entire…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. Jesus, Cornerstone of Our Faith God has showered humanity with gifts and blessings, but humanity continues to abuse those gifts. We have been entrusted with a creation to care for, and in our shortsightedness we abuse and pollute the…
Confessing Christ, Formed in Faith In late August, students are preparing to go back to school, and many churches gear up for a new year of Christian education. It is a good time to be reminded of the heart of Christian formation: conformation and transformation (Rom. 12:2). Disciples are formed over time—shaped by learning, worship, and…
We Are Beggars, This Is True “We are beggars; this is true,” are reported to be Martin Luther’s last written words. Christians are “beggars” for God’s grace, undeserving but graced nonetheless. A beggar’s faith focuses not on what is given or accomplished or believed, but on what is received: the healing and sustenance desperately longed for…
Abundance from Scraps Jesus is able to feed us abundantly, even with scraps. He meets earthly needs by feeding the crowds and continues now to offer himself as holy meal, freely given to all, no matter their income or rank in society. Advertisers have trained us that what’s proclaimed as FREE usually isn’t. More often,…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. Judgment and Mercy Matthew’s gospel knows little compromise: sheep or goats, wheat or weeds, good or evil. Finding the good news of God’s love for all people, for all creation, can be a challenge in this book. Today’s gospel…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. Life in Every Direction We can identify death in every direction. We see war, hunger, addiction, poverty, a dying planet, and broken hearts. This is not a new story. The children of Israel surely saw death in every direction,…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. True Humility The servanthood of a teacher in Isaiah, the outcast in the psalm, those who bow down in Philippians: today’s readings teach humility. On this day we move from Christ’s triumphant ride on a humble donkey to the…