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The Good News of Disappointment
A sermon on John 12:12-19. [for an audio recording of this sermon, click here. Photo by Romina Farias on Unsplash] A few months ago, I was in a zoom conversation with a few trusted colleagues and we started talking about the challenges of pastoring in the time of COVID. Specifically, we were lamenting the thousand and one decisions that have to get made, and how inevitable it is that we will end up disappointing at least some of our people. Every pastor I know feels the weigh
The Good News of Light
A sermon on John 3:14-21 [for an audio link of this sermon, click here. Photo by Ronaldo de Oliveira on Unsplash] John 3:16 was the first Bible verse I ever memorized. In fact, I cannot remember a time when I did not know this verse by heart: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.” I’m certainly not the only child raised with this verse on my lips, for understandable reaso
The Good News of Anger
A sermon on John 2:13-22 [for an audio recording of this sermon, click here. Photo by Usman Yousaf on Unsplash] This week, I got a message from one of our members (who gave me permission to share about our conversation in this sermon). The message was an expression of deep frustration – frustration to the point of real pain – about the way that political divisiveness is tearing apart relationships and triggering disdain for anyone who doesn’t line up with a given “side.” As s
The Good News of Misunderstandings
A sermon on Mark 8:31-38 [for an audio recording of this sermon, click here. Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash] Have you ever had one of those conversations, where you think you’re talking about one thing, and your conversation partner thinks you are talking about another, and it actually works for a minute, but then you say something that totally makes sense from your side of the conversation, but the other person starts looking at you like you have suddenly taken leave of your
