A sermon on Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 and Romans 8:38-39 [for an audio recording of this sermon, click here; photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash] I had an encounter with a colleague early in my professional career that has always stuck with me. The colleague was a generation older than me, and a recognized expert in her field. We were working on a project that involved a topic she knew inside out, a practice area that she had been engaged with since I was in grade school. I probably should have been intimidated. But I wasn’t. I was confident in what I brought to the table. So confident, in fact, that at one point she paused in our work to make an observation: “You’re very good at convincing people
[A sermon on Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30; and Romans 7:15-25a] [for an audio recording of this sermon, click here. photo by Matt Seymour on Unsplash] “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest….”(Matthew 11:28). I will admit that I need that message this week. I am weary. I am weary in body, mind, and spirit. I could blame the physical demands of packing in preparation for my family’s move next week, or the strain of parenting 24/7 while also trying to work, but those tasks are not the primary source of my tiredness. Rather, I am feeling drained by the same pain of heart and spirit that I know many of you are carrying. We are nearly 4 months int
