February 28, 2021
Today’s gospel gets at the heart of the human question — what’s the point? What’s the point of this life? I mean, come on ….half a million people have died in our country alone…over 2 and a half million worldwide in the past year from this pandemic. Millions more are still battling its long… Read More »
February 14, 2021
So…when the bottom falls out…when you’re facing the scariest time in your life…who do you need by your side? Someone who gets it. Who understands how hard it is. Someone who’s been there. Here’s what’s happening…Jesus is God…yes..but in the flesh. Fully human…with all our human emotions. And he is facing the reality of… Read More »
January 31, 2021
I have two memories that stand out from kindergarten. One is the day they lined us all up for our smallpox shots. The other is acting out the story of the “Billy Goats Gruff” with a little wooden bridge we had in the room. Some of you remember the story, I’m sure….the troll under the… Read More »
January 17, 2021
So…It’s only been 3 weeks since we celebrated Jesus’ birth…but in those three weeks here at church…we have rocketed with lightning speed over about 30 years of Jesus’ life. We saw Jesus in the temple, 9 days old, with his mom and dad, getting circumcised. We saw Jesus at the temple at 12, learning from… Read More »
January 3, 2021
There are two things that stand out in this story for me. The first is that parenting is hard….anybody with me here? It’s just hard. According to Elizabeth Stone – “Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”… Read More »
December 20, 2020
Gabriel said to Mary — ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Did you notice? What perplexed Mary was not the appearance of an angel. That wasn’t what threw her. Maybe she was one of those people… Read More »
December 13, 2020
In case you don’t remember your Jewish history…this scripture we read today was written when the people of Israel had returned from exile. They had been taken into captivity…and brought to a foreign country ….to Babylon…where they had been held for over 60 years. Unable to return to their homeland…living in a land that is… Read More »
November 29, 2020
It is confirmation Sunday. And in a few minutes, after they confess their faith together with us…the confirmands will be asked — : As you have made public profession of your faith. Do you intend to continue in the covenant God made with you in holy baptism: to live among God’s faithful people, to hear… Read More »
November 15, 2020
Our scripture this morning takes place in the year King Uzziah died. A little background. Uzziah became king when he was 16 years old…and he had reigned over Judah for 52 years. It was one of the longest periods of stability in Judah’s history. When he died…everything changed. Suddenly, the factions and divisions within the… Read More »
November 1, 2020
Life is hard. And messy. I want it to be simple. I want good and bad to be clear — and for the good people and the bad people to get the good and bad lives that they deserve…but the lines turn out to get all fuzzy and bad things keep happening to good… Read More »