This month in worship, we are going to be focusing on the book of James in the New Testament. It is all the way in the back of our bibles… just after Hebrews and right before a couple of shorter letters that lead into Revelation. This book is actually a letter written by James to…
Kenotic Words
worship, sermons, lectionary
Two Texts: Privilege and the Beloved Community
In my life, I have been pulled over by a police officer perhaps half a dozen times. One was for a broken taillight and the rest were for speeding. Every single time, my heart rate rose and my palms got sweaty. I was nervous. I felt guilty. I knew I was in trouble. But never,…
Two Texts: Pope Francis, the Environment, and Relationships
This summer, Pope Francis issued a letter to the world, “Laudato Si’” or Praise be to You which calls upon all people to care for our common home, our sister, Mother Earth. And while it made the news this summer, one of the first thoughts I had was that, as United Methodists, we had a…
Two Texts: Greece, Debt, and the Jubilee
2008 was a tough year for everyone financially. Wall Street had faltered, global markets took a tumble and nearly everyone felt the pinch. It was pretty much an accepted fact that there would be a long, tough, uphill battle to get back on track… not just in the United States, but globally as well. Just…
Two Texts: Iran, Cuba, and the Gerasene Demoniac
This month, our “Two Texts” series takes seriously the advice of Karl Barth… that we should take the bible and take the newspaper and read both. All sorts of stories have caught our attention over the summer and have led us to wonder what the Bible might have to say about that. What do people…
Keep P.U.S.H.ing!
My aunt Barb has been diagnosed and treating uterine and ovarian cancer for about two years now. She has been through a few rounds of surgery, chemo, and radiation. Some of it has been successful! Some of the cancer has returned. It has been an up and down journey, but she has had quite a…
What season do you inhabit?
Today in my organic ministry class, we were invited by Diane Glass to notice what season best describes our hearts, our relationships, our work. It is one thing to notice the physical and environmental season that surrounds you… even on a cool and muggy July day. But I had never considered the seasons as a…
Plural Pronouns and Prayers
Yesterday, our family was boating on the Cedar River and we pulled into this little cove we like to visit. Often, in the summer, it is full of people, but since it was cloudy and cool with sprinkles here and there it was calm and peaceful. Another boat pulled up with two little girls inside……