When I was in middle school, my mom and dad invited me to try out as many different sports as I could. In 7th grade I ran track. In 8th grade I played volleyball and tennis. I worked on my soccer skills with the rec leagues. I played softball in the summer. Instead of focusing…
Kenotic Words
worship, sermons, lectionary
Strength for the Weary
This morning, I have 13 reasons why I am a little bit tired and weary. First of all, it is only 6:15 in the morning Hawaii time. It took me about a week to get myself on Pacific time, and time changes are always more difficult when you head east. This time next week, I’ll…
my good deeds are like a tampon…
In this week’s lectionary readings we find a prayer from Isaiah 64. The tide has turned in Isaiah’s (or second Isaiah’s) thoughts and no more are there promises of destruction… now there are promises of salvation and pleas for God to act. “If only you would tear open the heavens and come down!” Isaiah cries. …
Use it or Lose it
On a cold November morning, not too different from today, two farmers met each other in the local coffee shop. Their crops had been harvested and they had some time to relax and shoot the breeze. After catching up on the usual small talk, Farmer Joe set his coffee cup down and turned to his…
the wedding garment
When we, the unworthy, accept the invitation and show up for the wedding, we are supposed to “put on” this special garment as we come in the door. AND – it is something that the Lord our King will provide for us, if we only chose to accept it.
Giving and Recieving
(sometimes I choose to preach from an outline rather than a manuscript… someday, maybe I’ll feel freer and can do it more often!) 1. Intro: talk about giving and receiving 2. A parable about dependence… we do not own the land, we do not own the fruit. Apply that to our faith and we remember…
Carnival Mirrors
Two summers ago, our family was on vacation at Lake Okaboji in northwest Iowa. We had this tiny little house rented and with six adults and two kids and a baby, we needed to be out and about as much as we could! One of the days we were there, we went to Arnold’s Park…
It is all grace…
For much of the summer, we have been sitting with the Apostle Paul and wrestling with his letter to the Romans. But as fall approaches – and boy does it feel like fall out there! – we are turning our eyes back to Jesus for a while. In fact, for the remainder of this fall,…