The renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright once told of an incident that perhaps seemed insignificant at the time, but it had a profound influence on the rest of his life. The winter when he was nine-years-old, he went walking across a snow-covered field with his reserved, no-nonsense uncle. As the two of them reached the…
I have always loved this Gospel story. And often thought that preachers I have heard in the past were always so much more stuck on what they thought they knew about this woman than on what was actually written about her in the Gospel of John. As I began to study the story in preparation…
Who remembered that the most famous verse in all the Bible was part of this curious little story about Nicodemus? That’s a rhetorical question. I didn’t remember either. Nicodemus is an interesting character. John tells us that he is a Pharisee, so a member of the religious elite; but more than that, he is a…
Happy Easter everyone! In the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene was the first to arrive at the tomb nearly 2000 years ago. Because some of us have heard this story so many times there’s always a danger that the details become like wallpaper in someone’s home you’ve walked into a million times and you now…
How are your table manners? What’s acceptable dinner conversation at your house? Generally, forboden topics are sex, politics, or religion, right? Apparently, they interfere with one’s digestion. Hard to do though, right? Growing up at mealtime, my father’s medical talk just about pushed my mother over the precipice. My dad would accept calls from the hospital or patients…
When I first agreed to preach today, I thought, sure I can do a children’s homily for youth Sunday, I have taught kids for a long time. Then I remembered I had to do both services, which meant an adult message as well. With the children, we will talk about what Jesus means when He…
Frederick Beuchner in his book Peculiar Treasures tells a story about Jesus’ daddy — the Dreamer. Thank you very much Fred. Let me paraphrase it here. After hearing Mary’s news and confronted with a nightmare of a marriage, Joseph does what any self respecting man would do. He decides to hit the hay and catch some ZZZZ’s. As…
If you looked up the word “impatience” in the dictionary, you would see a picture of my dad.😊 When I was growing up, my dad did not like to wait. He would not take us anywhere he anticipated crowds or lines. He would never go to a restaurant without a reservation. When we went to…
Leaves turn color. Yellow, red, orange, brown. Dry, they fly and fall from the sky. Carpeting the ground, like parchment, they crackle under foot. You can hear them. You can smell them – the mustiness of the earth. hist whist little goblin. hist whist little ghostling. e.e.cummings. It is that time of year again. As…
Good morning, and thank you for being here. There’s a lot going on in your life, if it’s anything like ours, and it’s great that we all made the decision to gather here today. I want to thank Chuck and Joani for graciously inviting me to speak to you today about what the story of…
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