Psalm 139:1-14; John 7:37-38 “Look!” I called back to Dawn, my biking partner. “Now that is a real labyrinth!” What prompted my enthusiasm, besides the novelty of a lavender labyrinth along a bike path in Hungary, was that I had been fooled by a labyrinth only a few days before. Fran, Dawn and her spouse […]
Sermons
Character, Endurance and Hope
Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5 “Come on, let’s go out.” Frank picked up the thermos of hot chocolate and coaxed his kids out the door. He led them on a walk through the snow on a sunny winter’s day. When they got to the top of a hill, he challenged them: “Go ahead, lie down and […]
Troubled Waters
Revelation 22:1-2; John 5:1-9 “O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life.” Every time I sing America the Beautiful, I struggle to get through these lines without crying. Part of what stirs my tears is the way these words lift up what is […]
A Meal That Changes Everything
Acts 11:1-18; John 13:31-35 It took an act of God–a movement of the Holy Spirit–to bring Peter and Cornelius together. It took a wild vision full of disturbing imagery and a shocking command repeated three times to a stunned Peter. It took an angel appearing to Cornelius. It took three messengers and a journey. It […]
I will fear no evil
Psalm 23; John 10:11-18 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. “I will fear no evil.” Powerful, challenging words, for there is so much that we fear. Some of what we fear is stuff we might be inclined to define […]
On the Road
Luke 24:13-32; Acts 9:1-9 I was trying desperately not to cry. It wasn’t the place to wear your emotions on your sleeve. I was in a temporary auxiliary airport terminal in New Delhi at a low point in my 2008 sabbatical travels. After an amazing trip to the Galapagos, Fran and I had spent 5 […]
God is My Rock
Psalm 95:1-7; Exodus 17:1-7 A few months ago, I saw Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson hosting Saturday Night Live–a 10pm re-run for those of us who get up early on Sundays. Johnson came to fame as a professional wrestler; in recent years he has become a well-respected actor. “The Rock” is his wrestling name. In his […]
Love is more powerful…
“ Luke 24:1-12 The tomb. Angels. Celebration. Daffodils. I wrote the words on newsprint. It was Wednesday evening, a week and a half ago. The Bible Study group had made our way through Luke’s gospel in time to study his account of the resurrection just before Easter. Before we read the text, I asked the […]
Singing Stones
Ezekiel 36:22-26; Luke 19:28-40 Trees clap their hands. Lions and lambs transcend their natural place in the food chain and lie down together. Sea monsters praise God. Mountains burst into song. The Bible is full of images of nature taking on seemingly human qualities. Trees, lions, mountains, even sea monsters—but not stones. Stones don’t shout. […]
Deeper than Words
Psalm 63:1-8, Colossians 3:12-16 He was so busted. In the boys’ bathroom at Longmeadow High School. The principal heard something through the walls and came barging in to catch the culprit in the act. The culprit? Ric Carl. What was he doing? Playing the harmonica. It turns out the boys’ bathroom had great acoustics, so […]