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The Meaning of Love
A sermon on Luke 2:1-20 [for an audio link of this sermon, click here. Photo by Garrett Jackson on Unsplash]. Over the last 4 weeks of Advent, our congregation has been exploring different names for Jesus: Wisdom from on High; Lord of Might; Branch of Jesse; Key of David; Dayspring; King of Nations; and Emmanuel – God with Us. We have journeyed through the words of prophets, gospel writers, and apostles, seeking a deeper understanding of exactly who it is we welcome with caro
Longest Night: Darkness & Light
A refeflection on John 1:1-4 (Photo by Prateek Gautam on Unsplash) “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” For many years, I found this pronouncement… unsatisfying. “…the darkness did not overcome it….” Seriously? That’s all we can say? The light of God, the life-giving power of creation… didn’t totally fail? It …hung in there? Is that really all we’ve got? Why even mention it then? Why bring up the darkness at all? The opening of the Gospel
Advent 4 - God With Us In All Circumstances
A sermon on Luke 1:78-79 and Malachi 4:1-2 [an audion recording of this sermon is availalbe here. Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash.] This past week, both of my kids and I battled a nasty head cold, which means that I spent a LOT more time watching Disney movies that I normally have time for the week before Christmas. One of those movies was the under-rated gem Anastasia. If you haven’t seen it, the title character has amnesia, and we meet her as a young adult leaving the o
Advent 3 - Living in Liminal Light
A sermon on Luke 1:78-79 and Malachi 4:1-2 (for an audio recording of this sermon, click here. Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash) If I were to ask each person here about the last time they stopped and stared at the beauty of the sky, I suspect that a significant portion of our stories would involve two times of day: either sunrise, or sunset. There is simply no more awe-inspiring time of light than these two in-between spaces, when the sun is not yet, or no longer, shining
Advent 2 - Trusting our Roots
A sermon on Isaiah 53:1-3 & Hebrews 11:1-13a (For an audio recording of this sermon, click here. Photo by Kaja Reichardt on Unsplash) If there is one thing that I am confident I will never do well, it is gardening. It’s not that I don’t want to be able to grow things. My mom has a fruitful garden that she tends with care, and I love eating fresh-picked veggies when I visit her. I would be thrilled to be able to eat from my own back yard on a regular basis. I have tried on va
The Mysterious Call of Wisdom
A sermon on Proverbs 8:1, 22-31, and 1 Cor. 1: 18-25 [for an audio recording of this sermon, click here. Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash] I’d like to play a little game of “would you rather.” The way it works is I give you a series of choices between two options, and you pick which of the options you would “rather” have within each pair. You don’t have to raise your hands or tell me your answers, just ponder for yourself. Here are the choices: Would you rather have a life f
Message from a Magus
A message inspired by Matthew 2: 1-12 [for an audio recording of this message, click here. Photo by Klemen Vrankar on Unsplash] You have heard my story often enough: How I saw a new light in the sky and believed it foretold a king’s birth; How I travelled from afar to find this child king of a foreign nation; How I asked questions at a palace, but then moved on and laid my precious gifts at the feet of a peasant girl and her baby son. You have heard my story read in Sunday Sc
