Psalm 133; Revelation 21:1-6 [Note: This sermon draws heavily from Melinda Ponder’s book, Katherine Lee Bates: From Sea to Shining Sea, published in Chicago by Windy City Publishers in 2017. Page numbers in brackets refer to Ponder’s book.] “But if Christ came to the world nearly 2000 years ago to teach us to love each other, why is […]
Flowing Water; Living Stone
Exodus 17:1-6; Acts 2:1-11; I Peter 2:4-5 Tongues of fire leap from person to person! A gale-force wind whips through the city! A dove shocks the crowd as she lands on a man emerging out of the river. Today is Pentecost–a holiday filled with drama and danger, surprise, disruption and possibility. The opening part of […]
Inscribed
Isaiah 49:13-16a; John 13:31-35 “So,” I asked, “how many of you remember back when diapers were made of cloth and were held together with giant diaper pins?” Every single hand in the room shot up. I had picked my question well for the particular audience–the ladies at Countryside Nursing Home, where Cindy, Ellie, Jeannie and […]
Singing, Soaring Spirit
I Corinthians 12:4-26; Genesis 2:4b-7 It is all about air–breath, wind. It is all about the intentional, focused movement of air to create a sound. It is such a gift this morning to have our guest musicians with us. With the exception of the timpanist, these musicians make music by focusing their breath, by exhaling […]
Among Trees
Revelation 22:1-2 I go among trees | Wendell Berry I go among trees and sit still. All my stirring becomes quiet around me like circles on water. My tasks lie in their places where I left them, asleep like cattle. Then what is afraid of me comes and lives a while in my sight. What it […]
Glorious Foolishness
Luke 24:1-32 The tomb is empty! Hope is alive! The cross is covered in flowers! The eggs are filled with blessings! Christ is risen!…..And it’s April Fools Day! The last time Easter and April Fools Day overlapped was before I was born. After reflecting this week on the connections between these two very different […]
To Tread the Gospel Way
Mark 11:1-10; Joshua 4:19-23; Revelation 19:11a,16 “King Jesus rides on a milk-white horse.” The choir sings with great enthusiasm, and more than a little confusion. They know the scripture coming right after the anthem is about Jesus coming into Jerusalem on a donkey. They also know, from many years of Palm Sunday dramatic re-enactments, that […]
For Our Lives
Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who […]
Where to Start
But strive first for the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 A few weeks ago, Shane offered a Words with the Young People with a vivid metaphor for “putting first things first.” He started with two identical vases, each with a few larger […]
Traveling Light
“Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money–not even an extra tunic. Whatever […]