"The Glorious Opportunity" | The roots of Martin Luther King's vision in Isaiah and the Gospel of John

The “steadfast love” of God is a central theme in the Bible. Meditating on God’s “steadfast love” anchored our ancestors whenever chaos, terror, and insecurity intruded. It can comfort us now when things feel unstable and unpredictable. Today’s readings invite us not only to receive the abundant and steadfast love of God, but to love steadfastly and abundantly, letting God’s love flow to us and through us.

On this weekend, the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr invites us to carry forward a shared dream for a society that is just, equitable, and inclusive. Let us as we gather for worship, set an intention to let God’s love flow to us and through us so that all may thrive. “The Glorious Opportunity” is based on Psalm 36:5-10 and John 2.1-11, and preached on January 16, 2022.

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A long time ago, someone prayed the words of today’s psalm:

“Your righteousness, O God, is like the mighty mountains.”

Despite the challenges they and their world faced at the time . . .

Comfort and challenge: ways to foster spiritual resilience in the midst of the pandemic

How do we move through this prolongated pandemic along with all the other challenges we face? How can we avoid growing pessimistic or becoming paralyzed? Is there a way to remain connected, energetic, and optimistic in the face of it all. In this sermon, based on Isaiah 43.1-7 and Revelation 1.12-18, I explore the way the perspective we bring affects our experiences and the way we engage the world around us.

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This last week, at the dawn of the New Year, America was hit with a million new Covid cases in a single day. That’s a record. That a million people a day reported being Covid positive doesn’t mean that all of them are sick. But a lot of them are, and a lot more will be.

I’m not being alarmist, not interested in stirring up fear or anxiety. But I am interested in being clear and honest about the reality we face these days—not only with Covid 19, but with the handful of other major crises we face—and I’m interested, pastorally, in helping us live well in spite of them. . . .

"It's a Wonderful Life" | the unsentimental power of Christmas for our pandemic lives

People everywhere are reaching for hope, something firm to stand on. Christmas is so much more than wishing for a better world; it’s a symbol of the universal nature of wonder that can transform our lives, brining us hope, meaning, and purpose. The Christmas Eve sermon (2021) is based on Isaiah 9.2-7 and Luke 2.8-20. I also explore than unsentimental gifts of the Christmas classic movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life” and what it shows us about living through this pandemic.

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The poetry of Isaiah and the prose of Luke are examples of ways these ancient writers tried to help their people find hope, feel some sense of wonder, and taste a little joy despite the hard times they were living through.

That’s what Christmas aims to do for us tonight and in the days ahead. It’s what Christmas has tried to do for a lot of people facing a lot of challenges throughout the course of history. . . .

The Banality of Christmas: Where you'll find God may surprise you

Christmas is about so much more than the birth of Jesus long ago. It’s about where we will find God today. And where we’ll find God today may be quite surprising to many religious people. God is so much closer than we think. Here’s a sermon based on Micah 5.2-5a and 1 John 4.7-12. Offered for the Fourth week of Advent, 2021

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“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,” says the prophet Micah, “you, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient of days.”

The prophet says that Bethlehem is the place where God planned to do something new, something good, something helpful and healing for all people. . . .

A Place at the Table: Toward the gospel of inclusion

When we make room for God, who is always among us, we open our lives in vulnerability to the power of love. Love isn’t a soft, insipid emotion. It is a power for transformation. Today as we gather, let us pray for a greater openness to God; let us set an intention to make more room in our lives for what is holy and good; let us commit to an expansive, inclusive way of life. Here’s a sermon based on the Gospel of Mark 2.15-17 and “The Guesthouse” by Rumi. Second Sunday of Advent 2021

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In the early part of Mark, chapter two, the Gospel writer sets up the story we’ve just read about Jesus at a table with a bunch of “tax collectors and sinners.” The writer is expanding a theme in these two stories, illustrating the ways the gospel of Jesus is about creating a bigger table. . . .