God’s grace and peace be with all of you. “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers,” says Blanche DuBois at the end of A Streetcar Named Desire, as she is led away to be committed to a mental hospital. The line is both tragic and true; Blanche has always depended on the kindness … Continue reading The Kindness (and Cruelty) of Strangers
Do You See This Woman? (a sermon from June 2016)
[This is not the sermon I preached this past Sunday. This is a sermon I preached a year ago. It popped up in my Facebook memories. I think it may be the best sermon I've ever written.] God’s grace and peace be with all of you. Today is Sea Sunday here at Our Saviour’s. It’s … Continue reading Do You See This Woman? (a sermon from June 2016)
Bridges over a Divided World (a sermon for Pentecost)
God’s grace and peace be with all of you. The world was a divided place. Certainly, the empire of Rome had united vast territory, from present-day Portugal and Spain to Turkey, and from the British Isles to northern Africa. But there were other world powers, too, such as the Kush and Aksumite Empires in Africa, … Continue reading Bridges over a Divided World (a sermon for Pentecost)
The Advocate (or: Sequels Never Seem to Live Up to the Original)
God’s grace and peace be with you all. Have you ever felt like, as Christians, we got kind of a raw deal? There was a very small number of disciples who actually got to know Jesus in his earthly life, who actually got to walk with him and talk with him and break bread with … Continue reading The Advocate (or: Sequels Never Seem to Live Up to the Original)
Our Father and Mother’s Day
God’s grace and peace be with all of you. Let me begin with an obvious statement: I think all of us would agree that parenting is hard. Those of you who are parents know the challenges and heartbreak, the frustrations and mistakes, of being a parent. And even those of us, like me, who aren’t … Continue reading Our Father and Mother’s Day
The Gate for the Sheep
God’s grace and peace be with all of you. Today is the fourth Sunday of Easter, and the fourth Sunday of Easter is always known as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” On this day, we always hear a gospel reading from John chapter 10. When you hear our gospel reading this morning, with its talk of sheep … Continue reading The Gate for the Sheep
On the Road to Emmaus (a sermon for the third Sunday of Easter)
God’s grace and peace be with all of you. In our church calendar, today is the third Sunday of the season of Easter. It’s been two weeks since Easter Sunday. But in our gospel reading today, we’ve gone backwards in time a bit—this reading takes place on the day of the resurrection, the first Easter. … Continue reading On the Road to Emmaus (a sermon for the third Sunday of Easter)
Doubt and the Gift of Faith
God’s grace and peace be with all of you. The scene opens on our gospel reading for today in a locked room. The disciples have hidden themselves away, isolated and afraid. And isn’t it interesting that they’re hiding behind locked doors? The disciples have already heard from Mary Magdalene that Jesus’ body is missing from … Continue reading Doubt and the Gift of Faith
Earth-Shaking News (a sermon for Easter)
Christ is risen! Alleluia! [He is risen indeed! Alleluia!] God’s grace and peace be with all of you. As you may know, in our Bible there are four gospels, four different books telling the story of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. I think it’s kind of wonderful that the early Christian movement decided that … Continue reading Earth-Shaking News (a sermon for Easter)
Surprising Savior (a sermon for Palm Sunday)
[Those who follow the Revised Common Lectionary know there are usually two options for Palm Sunday: either reading only the triumphant entry text, or reading the entire passion narrative. I have developed my own way of doing Palm Sunday. We read the triumphant entry text at the beginning of the service (this year, from Matthew); … Continue reading Surprising Savior (a sermon for Palm Sunday)
