Sermons and other Reflections
"Easter is an interesting day for people like me, people who hold leadership roles in faith communities. Easter is a day where all sorts of different people show up. At so many different places in their lives and relationship to faith, to spirituality. It’s a once-or-twice-a-year opportunity. So I thought I’d make the most of it, and rather than preaching a single sermon for you today, I thought I’d kick it up a notch. I figured I’d preach three sermons for you today instead."
Read More"The kind of love that Jesus models, Jesus incarnates, the love of God, is more than a saying. More than a universal teaching. It’s more than a feeling. The love that Jesus commands from us is the same love he’s shown. It’s risky love. It’s dangerous love. It’s the costliest kind of love."
Read More"When you think of the phrase “to save the world” what do you think of? Jesus’ contemporaries hoped for the overthrow of their Roman oppressors. We picture the overthrow of communism (or capitalism), or something called “radical Islam.” Terrorists foiled before they can set off the nuke. Or the bad guys get beat and peace, truth, justice and democracy are restored and reign forever. Chemical weapons and airstrikes. This is the strangeness of this story that we who hear this story year after year seem to miss. Jesus doesn’t accomplish anything like that at all. The crowd calls out to Jesus “Lord save.” Jesus suffers. Jesus calls out to the crowd “I’m thirsty.” Then he dies."
Read More"If only there were a God, or a God who cared, then we would be spared our suffering. Then the world would be spared its suffering. This is probably why Easter Sunday services are always more popular than Good Friday. Why we prefer upbeat gospel hymns to depressing dirges in the minor key. Because so much of our spirituality is built around doing our best to avoid suffering, sin and pain, that when we actually face suffering then none of it seems to make sense."
Read More"Miracles are not exceptions, where God is somehow absent, then decides to reach in to our world toshow up and act one day. No, miracles are part of God’s greater work on a small scale. But local, intensified. Like an underground spring that suddenly bubbles up to the surface."
Read MoreWe are spiritually thirsty people, in one way or another. We have thirsty souls. But the problem is that we try to satisfy this spiritual thirst that we have with all sorts of things that won't satisfy.
Read MoreWe all want new life, a new start. And we’ll try just about anything to get it. But it isn’t that easy. It requires a restart. Becoming a whole new person, being born again from above. It’s not something we can create, not something we can strive for or accomplish. No, it’s God’s doing from beginning to end, the work of the Holy Spirit that blows where it will.
Read More"Authentic spirituality is not only personal--it's communal, rooted in community."
Read More"Spiritual immaturity, it seems, is to believe that you have no more maturing to do. And I think this is our human default. It’s kind of ironic that the moment we hit adulthood is when we become most set in our ways. When our opinions become the most fixed, and we become the most averse to change."
Read MoreLike the Corinthians who saw wisdom as a way gain status for themselves, and power over others, we live in a culture that sees knowledge as a weapon. As a tool for the same.
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