Sermons
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The Measure We Give
There are times when I turn to the Holy Scriptures and God’s comfort is undeniable, but sometimes, on the first read, I can read our sacred texts as an impossible bar to clear. In today’s gospel, I have to… Continue reading
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Redeemed, Beloved, and Called
There is a particular sort of response that I have whenever someone really pushes my buttons; maybe it’s an inflamed issue that gets lots of attention in the media or something more deep-seeded and woven into childhood wounds, but no… Continue reading
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A Hard Edges and Dark Corners Christmas
When I had the opportunity to walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, an ancient pilgrimage across Northern Spain a few years ago, I shared stories and pictures from that journey with this congregation. One of the conversations I had… Continue reading
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My Advent Prayer
I count it one of my life’s great gifts that I went to the same small, liberal arts college as my younger brother. For most of our lives up until our college years, I was painfully quiet and shy, and… Continue reading
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Baptized into Love
The way the story goes in my family history, it was my grandmother who first noticed. My dad’s mom raised five boys on the southside of Indianapolis, in a two-bedroom home so she got pretty good at paying attention. But… Continue reading
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Healing and Hurt
One of my favorite things about our language is a turn of phrase or idioms; I love the way they short-hand common experiences and provide a level of familiarity. I love these turns of phrases, because they fast track our… Continue reading
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What Do We Lack?
Maybe I’m projecting my own awkwardness on all of you, but I’m keenly aware of two things this morning. First, I’ve stolen the opening line from last week’s sermon. Preaching about Mark’s account of Jesus’ diatribe on divorce is… Continue reading
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At What Cost And To What End?
It may be no surprise that when I was in elementary school, I was what was known as a “teacher’s pet,” because teachers generally liked my attention to detail, obsessive rule following, and my general quiet nature. Public speaking… Continue reading
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Called to the Table
There is something particularly curious about how phrases and cultural ideas change and taken on new forms and meanings, and they move through the decades and centuries. Certain images or phrases tend to take on their own life and become… Continue reading
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Becoming What We Receive
Before I went to seminary, I taught preschool, and I’m so grateful for those years. I loved that time of life and I’ve been able to carry so many lessons from that work. Whether it’s having to use my teacher… Continue reading
