Sermon: Tidings of Possibility

“Tidings of Possibility”
(December 13, 2009) We celebrate the birth of Christ as a miracle, but it sometimes seems that the miracle is not that he is born or how that may have happened. The miracle is that joy happens, even and especially in the midst of tremendous pain and fear and suffering. This is good [...]

Sermon: Tidings of God’s Reign

“Tidings of God’s Reign”
(November 29, 2009) Advent is a time of waiting, but do we know what we are waiting for? The Gospel reading paints a frightening picture of ‘the coming of the Son of Man,’ and in many ways God’s reign is frightening to those who are comfortable with the status quo. But can [...]

Resurrection– not so much the what as the So What?

This comes from thoughts I posted on a discussion board at 7Villages, but I thought I’d post it here. It was framed as a yes/no question, but I think it’s a question that might take months or years or decades or a lifetime to answer. I’m still answering it– if not the initial part, the [...]

Sermon: Life All Around

“Life All Around”
(April 12, 2009) The promise of new life and eternal life is all around us, if we look for it. Where do you see the Easter promise around you? What communicates God’s presence to you? Easter sermon 2009 (John 20:1-18)
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[sorry about the delay; there was a technical glitch with the computer where I [...]

40 ways for 40 days

We’re all carbon addicts. We live lives dependent on goods and services being moved to where we are and dependent on our own ability to travel, buy, and use.
I practice a couple of Lenten disciplines, usually centering around taking on something rather than giving something up (most often, an additional spiritual practice like extra prayer [...]

You know the weather is bad when…

The Montpelierites are walking around downtown with skipoles.
And I intentionally take a nose dive in a snow bank to avoid the car in front of me.
My bags are packed for Jacksonville, and asuming I can get on the plane tomorrow, I’ll be headed for the Quadrennial Training in sunny (albeit chilly) Florida. Will any of [...]

Split Personality

Sorry, gentle readers, about the black hole of post-Christmas, post-family-crisis time I slipped into. Thanks for tuning back in.
Christmas Eve services at my two churches were special, each in their own way. The sermon was the same, and a lot of the hymns were good old standby Christmas hymns, and each ended with candle-lighting and [...]

Sermon: Clear a Space

“Clear a Space”
( December 21, 2008 )  Despite what might be less than good news to an unwed teenage girl, Mary says an active ‘yes’ to the message Gabriel brings her. We too have the invitation to create a space for Christ in our hearts, our homes, and our lives as we say yes to [...]

I have determined that Advent 2 hates me.

I was dragging yesterday in a bad way. It might have been the lack of coffee. It might have been that the sermon just didn’t come together as I had hoped. In attempt to help myself out, on Saturday I looked up my sermon for Advent 2, 2005, which was on the same texts and [...]

Sermon: Clear the Clutter

“Clear the Clutter”
( November 30, 2008 ) We’ve created a lot of clutter when it comes to celebrating Christmas. This First Sunday of Advent, we are invited to reflect on how we might clear that clutter, and spend less time waiting for God to get our attention and more time getting our attention on God. [...]