Expecting Vulnerability
A sermon on Matthew 1:18-25. [for an audio recording on this sermon, click here. Photo by M.T ElGassier on Unsplash.] As some of you probably know, because I talk about it a fair amount, I am fascinated by the Enneagram. The Enneagram is a personality typing system that actually dates all the way back to the 4 th and 5 th Century desert fathers and mothers in the mystical-ascetic branch of Christianity. Unlike more modern typing systems, it focuses not so much on a person’
Expecting a Healing Repentance
A sermon on Matthew 3:1-12 [for an audio recording of this sermon, click here. Photo by SOULSANA on Unsplash.] I had a conversation earlier this week with a member of our congregation in which we shared that we had similar feelings about one of the words from today’s gospel. This made me wonder if this is a more widely shared phenomenon in our particular community. If you’re willing, please raise your hand if you generally have a bit of flinch or cringe or otherwise negative
Expecting to Not Be In Control
A sermon on Matthew 24:36-44 and Romans 13:11-14. [for an audio recording of this sermon, click here . Photo by Joan Tran on Unsplash .] It’s a pretty common idea that the college years are, at least in part, a time for self-discovery: a time to figure out who you are and what you want your life to look like. But I’m wondering… has anyone ever heard that same idea of self-discovery is part of the parental journey when we send our kids off? I’m curious because I did not expec