Sermons

Ash Wednesday; March 5, 2025 2 Corinthians 5:20b - 6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 I want to speak about two words and an experience.  Reconcile, piety and confession. Reconcile Paul speaks of encouraging people to be reconciled with God.  Reconcile right now!  Don’t wait, don’t delay, come to the table!  This is not about “negotiating” a …

Continue reading "Ashes: Reconciliation, Justice & a New Start"

The Last Sunday after the Epiphany; March 2, 2025 Exodus 34: 29-25; Psalm 99; 2 Corinthians 3: 12-4: 2; Luke 9: 28-43 In the reading from Exodus we hear that when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai the skin of his face shone.  He had been on the mountain talking with God and receiving the …

Continue reading “Patterns”

The Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany; February 23, 2025 Genesis 45: 3-11, 15; Psalm 37: 1-12, 41-42; 1 Corinthians 15: 35-38, 42-50; Luke 6: 27-38 Pilates About 15 years ago, Pam and I did Pilates.  For those unfamiliar with this training program, it seeks to increase strength, flexibility and balance by building up the core …

Continue reading "Wundra-ful Difficulty"

The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany; February 16, 2025 Jeremiah 17: 5-10; Psalm 1; 1 Corinthians 15: 12-20; Luke 6: 17-26 Amy-Jill Levine, professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, in her book Short Stories by Jesus:  The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi,  writes about how religion is designed to comfort the afflicted and …

Continue reading “A mash-up to confront and disturb”