Isaiah 45:3 And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, which call you by your name, am the God of Israel. Psalm 139 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go […]
Today is Reign of Christ Sunday, also known as Christ the King Sunday. It is the final week of the liturgical year, in which we celebrate the coming reign of Christ, and tie His role as our spiritual leader into the season of Advent, which begins next Sunday. Or, at least, that’s what the internet […]
We are in a two week sermon series on Gratitude – using Diana Butler Bass’s book: Grateul: The transformative Power of Giving Thanks. Have you ever been in a gratitude loop of saying or expressing thank you. One of my clergy colleagues, Elizabeth Ingram Schindler told this story in a sermon, of visiting in a friend’s […]
Some of you are aware that I am attending the Academy for Spiritual Formation that meets once a quarter for a week at San Damiano, a Franciscan Conference Center. At the Academy every morning we would open our hoarse voices with a song phrase – O God open our lips, and we shall declare your praise. […]
Psalm 16:8 I have set God always before me – I shall not be moved. v. 11 You show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy. Prayer based on Dt 30-Choose Life that you too may live. Find a way to overcome adversity. That is the best life we […]
At the beginning of this section in Mark, we are told that Jesus and his disciples are on THE WAY in Mark 8:27. The earliest Christians were called “followers of the way.” They are approaching the end of their travels. They’re at Jericho, on the edge of Jerusalem. It is on the way that the disciples […]
As we prepare to celebrate All Saints’ Worship next Sunday, I want to highlight what some call “The trinity of days of Halloween, All Saints, and All Souls” from October 31 – November 2. For some, it is a sacred space in the turning of the year—what Celtic people call a thin place, where past, […]
Jesus is “on a journey” walking urgently from place to place. This wealthy man runs to catch up, approaches Jesus with reverence, kneels, and questions Jesus about eternal life.. He did all the right things. He was righteous and blameless. He has so much, and now wants even more. Jesus’ reply is abrupt. Jesus tells the man that he […]
Confluence of events -Gospel lectionary passage for today Mark 10:13-16 includes this short passage “Let the Children Come to Me”; it’s World Communion Sunday; October is the month for the national observance of Children’s Sabbath – uniting all faiths in shared concern & common commitment to improving children’s lives; it’s a Sunday when the kids are staying […]
The summer before my senior year in college, I had the opportunity to travel to Jamaica for a six—week mission trip providing a structure for VBS and camp. In those days, my theology was still forming, and hopefully still is, but I am a bit embarrassed to admit how excited I was to save hearts […]