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Words of Offense AND Eternal Life
A sermon on John 6:56-69 [for an audio recording of this sermon, click here. Photo by Sammie Chaffin on Unsplash.] “Lord, to whom shall we go?” It’s a familiar phrase. One that we sing weekly before hearing the gospel read in worship. It’s so familiar, in fact, that it doesn’t really sound like a question, despite the question mark at the end. We don’t expect an answer. And, in this case, I think that familiarity is helpful in leading us to the true meaning of these words. Be
Sermon: On Mary, Baptism, and Faith that Calls for Change
A sermon on Luke 1:46-55 [for an audio recording of this sermon, click here. Photo by Priscilla Gyamfi on Unsplash] Mary in August? Yes. Her song of praise and prophecy about her pregnancy removed from the context of Christmas? Again, yes. And not just because the powers that be decreed that August 15th should be the Feast Day of Mary, but because she has something to teach us that is relevant year-round. In her insightful essay on Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Kathleen Norris
Power and Bread
A sermon on John 6: 35, 41-51; 2 Sam. 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 [for an audio recording of this sermon, click here. Photo by visuals on Unsplash]. “I am the bread of life…. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (Jon 6: 35; 51) Have you ever stopped to consider how strange these claims are? Having grown up with these phrases, they never really struck me until I came across a reflection written by a young woman with an eating disorder. Her complicated r
Can We Ever Be Satisfied?
A sermon on John 6:24-35 [for an audio recording of this sermon click here. Photo by Henley Design Studio on Unsplash] I have a confession to make. Before I became a pastor, I almost never noticed the connections between the words of our liturgies and the teachings of our scriptures on any given Sunday. I would (hopefully, probably at least half the time, when not distracted by squirming children) pay attention to the words of our prayers with a sincere heart, opening my mind
