Sermon: Exceeds Expectations

"Exceeds Expectations" (May 22, 2011) We think we know and understand this very familiar passage from the Gospel of John, but like so many things that we think are in the Bible, we overlay our own expectations on what we read, and let our brains fill in the rest. This sort of assumption, however, means…

What Happens Tomorrow

I don't really want to give airtime to the ridiculous notion that the end of the world begins tomorrow. It's a non-biblical idea about rapture plucked from random texts and mashed together with poorly-constructed numerology and a re-calculated dating of Noah's Ark. It's a lot of nonsense. But really, it's much worse than that. First,…

Sermon: To the Pasture

"To the Pasture!" (May 15, 2011) We are so ready to hear Jesus tell us that he is the Good Shepherd that we sometimes miss what he says first: he is the Gate. How does it change our focus if we see Jesus not only as the one who helps us through transitions, but as…

Sermon: Out from Fear

"Out from Fear" (May 8, 2011) The disciples hide away in an upper room out of fear, even though they have heard the good news of Jesus' resurrection. Only by the gift of the Spirit, breathed on them by the risen Christ, can they find what they need to move beyond their fear. What moves…

Sermon: Blessed are the Slow of Heart

"Blessed are the Slow of Heart" (May 1, 2011) The disciples who encounter Jesus on their way to Emmaus are slow to recognize him, and even slower to let their hearts understand who he is and what his death and resurrection mean. Rather than condemning them, however, Jesus takes the time to explain Scriptures to…

I do not think it means what you think it means…

I went to bed last night. My husband, awake an hour earlier than I this morning, was the one who told me that Osama bin Laden had been killed by U.S. operatives. I read the headlines and watched the President's speech, and skimmed through Twitter, and began to develop a nasty, sickly feeling in my…