And the crowds asked him, “What, then, should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than […]
There are a number of different themes that can be used to lead us through the four Sundays of Advent. Probably the most commonly used themes today are Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Sometimes these might be found in differing orders, sometimes one or the other is replaced by Faith. But, at least in recent […]
Now that Thanksgiving is over and December is here, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas (though, as usual, I began to see the Christmas décor creep into stores before Halloween was over). Nevertheless, the season of Advent reminds us that before we can celebrate Christmas, we must first endure a season of […]
“You visit the earth and water it,You greatly enrich it;the river of God is full of water;you provide the people with grain,for so you have prepared it…You crown the year with your bounty;Your wagon tracks overflow with richness.”Psalm 65:9, 11 NRSV The red, yellow, and brown cover the groundand turn to grey and slick and […]
“Let nothing disturb you,Let nothing frighten you,All things are passing away.God never changes.Patience obtains all thingsWhoever has God lacks nothing:God alone suffices.”St. Teresa of Avila Ugliness aboundsBut “Beauty will save the world.”*Resurrect my hope. The earth shifts beneathBut “Let nothing disturb you.”Resurrect my hope. There is much to fearBut “Let nothing frighten you.”Resurrect my hope. […]
The promises of God are often sold –Forsaken for a bowl of lentil stewOr for a flag of red and white and blue.But there it sits, with time collecting mold. “If hope be hope it must continue to burn after it has put out every false hope.”Karl Barth One of the biggest mistakes Christians in […]
As we near another presidential election, I find that my primary concern is not how this election will impact the country but how it will impact the Church of Jesus Christ. Of course, as a resident of the United States of America, I have concerns about our leadership, the economy, foreign policy, and so on. […]
Being a parent of young children means that I read a lot of children’s books. One character in these books that has fascinated me is Amelia Bedelia. Amelia Bedelia’s quirk is that she takes words at their most literal meaning. For example, she sprays the guest of honor at a baby shower with a hose […]
1 Samuel 8 is a key moment in the biblical story. God’s people gather together at Ramah and voice their dissatisfaction with the present state of leadership. Their complaint and concern was valid. Samuel, their current leader (judge), was growing old. His sons were crooks. They were in the middle of a war with the […]
As I worked on my sermon for Pentecost this last week, I was struck by Peter’s interpretation of what had just happened. The people in Jerusalem hear the disciples speaking in tongues and ask, “What does this mean?” Peter responds by quoting from the prophet Joel: “In the last days, God says, I will pour […]
The Local Pastor 