Santa Monica Nazarene Church: Recent Episodes
Church of the Nazarene
In this sermon we end our series inspired by a book called What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk With Howard Thurman by Lerita Coleman Brown. We use Thurman’s famous quote to jumpstart our reflections on what it means to live in the spirit of the resurrection. [The quote: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.”] In this sermon we talk about resilience and hope. These will also be the themes of our new series that we're kind of starting this week as well.
In this sermon we begin a series inspired by a book called What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk With Howard Thurman by Lerita Coleman Brown. We use Thurman’s famous quote to jumpstart our reflections on what it means to live in the spirit of the resurrection. [The quote: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.”] In this sermon we talk about what Jacob’s journey teaches us about our connection to God that nothing and no one can take away, even though we can get in our own way sometimes.
In this sermon we begin a series inspired by a book called What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk With Howard Thurman by Lerita Coleman Brown. We use Thurman’s famous quote to jumpstart our reflections on what it means to live in the spirit of the resurrection. [The quote: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.”] In this sermon we consider how prayer, hospitality, and solitude are at the heart of Jesus’s ministry and what they have to do with discipleship (with some help from Henri Nouwen’s book Reaching Out).
In this sermon we begin a series inspired by a book called What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk With Howard Thurman by Lerita Coleman Brown. We use Thurman’s famous quote to jumpstart our reflections on what it means to live in the spirit of the resurrection. [The quote: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.”] In this sermon we look at what it means to be spiritual but not religious and how that could mean we as the church need a better understanding of Jesus. Hint: it’s another sermon about love. There’s also a riff on my favorite hymn.
In this sermon we begin a series inspired by a book called What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk With Howard Thurman by Lerita Coleman Brown. We use Thurman’s famous quote to jumpstart our reflections on what it means to live in the spirit of the resurrection. [The quote: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.”] In this sermon we talk about what it means to experience the presence off God in the Eucharist, how that is primary means by which we nurture our communion with God even though, as I share from my own life, we might experience holy coincidences or moments of divine intervention in strange ways.
In this sermon we begin a series inspired by a book called What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk With Howard Thurman by Lerita Coleman Brown. We use Thurman’s famous quote to jumpstart our reflections on what it means to live in the spirit of the resurrection. [The quote: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.”] In this sermon we talk about Thurman’s experience of Halley’s Comet and what his Mom taught him there, Brennan Manning’s words about grace, Jesus’ questions to Peter and how he never stops asking them, about what it means to know that you belong to God and how that is at the center of the journey of faith.
Good morning, Santa Monica Nazarene -
I’m here with another audio recording of my weekly Call to Worship email. And today I wanted to share a quote from J.R.R. Tolkien’s second book in The Lord of the Rings series (the book’s called The Two Towers, in case you were wondering). But it’s a quote I’ve been thinking about ever since I read it that I think might help us prepare our hearts for worship today.
To set the stage a little bit… at this point in the story, Sam and Frodo are reflecting on how far they’ve travelled in their journey to destroy the Ring of Power. (It’s okay if you don’t know what that means. Just know that that’s the main goal—destroying the ring of power—and that it requires a long and dangerous journey to do so.)
But there’s this moment when Sam starts reflecting on what it means to go on an adventure. And I love what he says. It’s kind of a long paragraph, but it’s really good. And so he says,
“And we should’t be here at all, if we’d known more about it before we started. But I suppose it’s often that way. The brave things in the old tales and songs, Mr. Frodo: adventures as I used to call them. I used to think that they were things the wonderful folk of the stories went out and looked for, because they wanted them, because they were exciting, and life was a bit dull, a kind of sport, as you might say. But that’s not the way of it with the tales that really mattered, or the ones that stay in the mind. Folk seem to have been just landed in them, usually—their paths were laid that way, as you put it. But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didn’t . . .”
Sam is maturing a bit, here, in his thinking about what it means to go on an adventure. His younger mind saw adventure as something you pursued because life was boring. However, now he understands that adventure sometimes finds you all on its own and you have to then decide whether you’ll embrace it and go on the journey.
As I think about this quote, I like the idea that we are dropped into stories. That adventure finds us. That life finds us. And we have to decide whether to embrace it and to go on the journey. It makes me think about God and creation and what it means to be alive. That we are dropped into the story of God and that God is calling us onto a journey towards communion with him.
There’s always some mystery to the life of faith. We’re called to follow Jesus, but the details of that journey aren’t known to us. And we can always choose to turn back. Or we can be like Sam and Frodo and venture out further and come to discover more and more that the good tales never end, as they say, and that we actually want to be a part of them.
As you prepare your heart for worship, I pray you would know that when you woke up today you landed in the greatest of all stories and that it is calling to you.
See you at 10:30am for worship!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Scott
In this sermon we begin a series inspired by a book called What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk With Howard Thurman by Lerita Coleman Brown. We use Thurman’s famous quote to jumpstart our reflections on what it means to live in the spirit of the resurrection. [The quote: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.”] This sermon we consider how nature teaches us that God is a refuge by consider the idea of refugia in nature.
In this sermon we begin a series inspired by a book called What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk With Howard Thurman by Lerita Coleman Brown. We use Thurman’s famous quote to jumpstart our reflections on what it means to live in the spirit of the resurrection. [The quote: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.”] This sermon revolves around the importance of silence in our communion with God. We’ll talk about the desert fathers, a book of dopamine, another book about someone’s search for the quietest place on earth, and how our bodies play music.
In this sermon on Resurrection Sunday we continue our series looking at the seven things Jesus says from the cross before he dies. We look at the seventh and last thing where in death he entrusts himself to the Father. We consider this through the lens of breath in the Scripture, particulalry in light of Jesus giving is spirit to them after the resurrection in John 20.
In this sermon we continue our series looking at the seven things Jesus says from the cross before he dies. We look at the fifth thing where he says that he is thirsty.
Good morning, SaMoNaz -
I wanted to do something a little different today. Usually I send an email with a brief reflection to help us prepare for the worship gathering. But today I thought I would also made it available in audio in hopes that maybe if you can’t sit down to read something today, you can listen to it while you make breakfast or putter around the house this morning.
For now I’m calling this a one-off audio, but who knows. Maybe it’ll stick.
And so for today, I wanted to share a couple of quotes as we prepare for the worship gathering and then a small reflection all of which shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes.
One quote is from Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the other is from Soren Kierkegaard.
Bonhoeffer says, “The cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ.”
And Kierkegaard says, “The difference between an admirer and a follower still remains, no matter where you are. The admirer never makes any true sacrifices. He always plays it safe. Though in words, phrases, songs, he is inexhaustible about how highly he prizes Christ, he renounces nothing, gives up nothing, will not reconstruct his life, will not be what he admires, and will not let his life express what it is he supposedly admires.”
What I like about the Bonhoeffer quote this is how the cross is not an accessory to the Christian life, but the essence. To know Christ (and, thus, to know God) is to know him as crucified. There is no real communion with Christ other than with him on the cross.
What I like about the Kierkegaard quote is the recognition that there are admirers of Jesus who are not truly followers.
Both of these quotes are quite sobering in our North American culture where it is quite easy to identify as a Christian without the need to actually follow or imitate Christ. What further complicates this is that sides have formed about with means to follow Christ.
I write this partly in hopes that we might recognize if and when we slide into admiration of Christ when the going gets tough. But maybe even more importantly that we remember the cross does not mean all things to all people. It means something particular of the one who was crucified in the social, political, economic, and religious context of his day. Our witness as the church depends on being able to see this coherently and truthfully.
Palm Sunday is a time to remember this as the people wave branches and shout Hosanna at Jesus as he rides into Jerusalem, people who are perhaps not quite so aware that he—he who is the least of these, the poor one with no place to lay his head, who offended religious bureaucrats for loving their power more than people, who makes a way of inclusion for the marginalized, who makes is easier for the voiceless to be heard, who says renounce your privilege and sell all you have if the rising tide benefits you but not another, he who stares relentlessly into our eyes asking who do you say that I am?—this is the one riding to the cross and calling them and us to follow.
See you at 10:30am for worship.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Scott
In this sermon we continue our series looking at the seven things Jesus says from the cross before he dies. We look at the fourth thing Jesus says from the cross, which is a prayer about his being forsaken. We consider what forsakenness has to do with the God, why it’s important Jesus says this from the cross, why it also has to do with us in our sinfulness, and how it’s a reminder that God is always with us.
In this sermon we continue our series looking at the seven things Jesus says from the cross before he dies. We consider the person of Mary in John’s gospel, what she has to do with Eve and Abraham, and how she is always reminding us to do whatever the crucified one tells us to do.
In this sermon we continue our series looking at the seven things Jesus says from the cross before he dies. We consider a passage from Wendell Berry’s book Jayber Crow, how people used to keep memory, what’s been lost of memory in the modern world, how that affects us, a poem by Mary Oliver who gives us an image of God’s lively memory, and what it means to be remembered by God.
In this sermon we begin a new series looking at the seven things Jesus says from the cross before he dies. We talk about all the ways “they” do not know what they are doing, what it means to encounter Jesus on the wrong side of the cross first, and a 2008 Coen Brothers film called Burn After Reading.
In this sermon we hear the gospel again on Ash Wednesday, that though we are dust there is hope in the crucified Christ raised from the dead. We consider what the treasures of our hearts are through a painting by Carl Spitzweg, the story of Zacchaeus, and what it means to wear the ashes.
In this sermon we talk about Jesus’s transfiguration, John Wesley, and the means of grace.
In this sermon we talk about the “what would you do?” moments, the miracle of a blind man, how the Pharisees wanted to control the narrative of grace, how Jesus wants to change the way we imagine the God, and the paradox of grace.
In this sermon we talk grace, karma, a U2 song, the third step of recovery, why grace doesn’t let us off the hook (with some help from The Magnificat), and what happens when I get cut off driving down Wilshire.
In this sermon we talk about grace, Bert and I (and how people from Maine give directions), the difference between telling God’s story beginning at Genesis 3 versus Genesis 1-2, Saint Maximos the Confessor (and how the incarnation was always the plan regardless of Sin), and how we are made for grace.
In this sermon we begin a series looking at the word grace. We look at how easily we can become comfortable with it forgetting what made it wonderful in the first place. We focus specifically on God’s prevenient grace (with a little help from Juan Valdez and Conchita) and how God is everywhere and always giving the gift of the divine presence, which is grace (with a little help again from Flannery O’Connor).
In this sermon Tim Olson (giest speaker) talks about what it means to put the moral cart before the Jesus horse and how we need to find a better way, namely that Jesus meets us where we're at first and then calls us to imitate him. It's about grace versus legalism, or about learning how to love Jesus first in order to then understand what it might mean to imitate him.
In this sermon Tim Olson (guest speaker) helps us imagine a church that focuses not on what we do not but what we should do instead as followers of Jesus.
In this sermon Tim Olson (guest speaker) talks about the more to the story of God we might be missing.
In this sermon we meditate on the great prologue of John’s gospel, what it has to do with wisdom, and what it might mean to incarnate as a church the things God cares about.
In this sermon we return to the story of Jesus as a twelve year old who ditched his family for a day in order to hangout in the temple. We consider what Mary has to teach us about holding close to Christ as we grow into the fullness of him as the revelation of God.
In this sermon we return the story of Jesus’ birth presented as a fictionalized telling of events from the perspective of a group of ordinary angels.
In this sermon we return to Mary’s song, the Magnificat. We talk about Mary (with a little help from Fargo) as the image of the church and the hinge upon with Christian witness happens.
In this sermon we continue to look at John the Baptist, why he calls them a brood of vipers, what fire and pruning mean in terms of reordering our lives, what it all has to do with joy (and the opposite of joy), and why this is good news.
In this sermon we look at the person of the John the Baptist, the quintessential voice of Advent calling us to prepare for the Lord’s arrival. We consider, with a little help from Beetlejuice and Van Gogh, what it means that John calls us into the wilderness away from the centers of power in the Roman world and what that has to do with pruning and fruit-bearing.
In this sermon we look at the gospel reading for the first Sunday of Advent, focusing on how God in Christ moves to disrupt the broken creation. We talk about how some of the symbols of Christmas (like trees and lights and gifts) should remind us of this, that Christmas is not about sentimentality, and that we are called to follow the one who carries the light and to carry it ourselves (thanks Cormac McCarthy).
In this sermon we focus on the confession that Jesus is Lord. We talk about when the church first started to celebrate the last Sunday of the church year as the Reign of Christ Sunday, about what Christ’s lordship means in relation to everything else that competes for our devotion, how peacefulness overcomes violence (with a little help from Yoda), and how Christ holds us, refusing to let us fall apart, as he beckons us into his good future (with a little help from the Lord of the Flies).
In this sermon we conclude our series on the saints by looking at the life of Saint Paul the Apostle. We consider the devotion (yes, that’s right) behind his efforts to destroy (ravage, roundup, jail, kill) the church and how Christ was able to break through and change the direction of his life. From there we consider a couple passage from his letters and with the help of something called sympathetic resonance (it’s a piano thing) what it means to abandon our lives to way of Jesus.
In this sermon we continue our series on the saints by looking the witness of Maria Goretti as we consider what it means to forgive.
For the rest of Ordinary Time we will consider how the gospel speaks to our many varied days. We are using a book of prayers by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie called The Lives We Actually Have as our structure and a source of inspiration. In this sermon we end our series, as well as begin a new on all on the same Sunday. On this Sunday we will celebrate All Saints Day by starting a three-weeks series devoted to the lives of the saints and how we encounter the gospel in them.
For the rest of Ordinary Time we will consider how the gospel speaks to our many varied days. We are using a book of prayers by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie called The Lives We Actually Have as our structure and a source of inspiration. In this sermon we talk about a scene from the Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a poem by Mary Oliver, some Scripture on the fleeting nature of life, and what it has to do with reverence.
For the rest of Ordinary Time we will consider how the gospel speaks to our many varied days. We are using a book of prayers by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie called The Lives We Actually Have as our structure and a source of inspiration. In this sermon we talk about how pain can be a catalyst for better things.
For the rest of Ordinary Time we will consider how the gospel speaks to our many varied days. We are using a book of prayers by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie called The Lives We Actually Have as our structure and a source of inspiration. Today’s sermon is about our overwhelming days. In this sermon consider two passage of Scripture as capturing the experience of being overwhelmed. In one sense we are like Peter, drowning in what’s beyond our control. In another sense we are like Martha, distract by everything other than what matters most.
For the rest of Ordinary Time we will consider how the gospel speaks to our many varied days. We are using a book of prayers by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie called The Lives We Actually Have as our structure and a source of inspiration. Today’s sermon is about our grief-stricken days. In this sermon we explore grief through a range of Scripture, the stages of grief, the question of meaning, and the high lonesome holler.
NOTE: Audio is a bit off this week. Apologies for the pour quality, but you should still be able to follow along.
For the rest of Ordinary Time we will consider how the gospel speaks to our many varied days. We are using a book of prayers by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie called The Lives We Actually Have as our structure and a source of inspiration. Today’s sermon is about our lovely days. We consider a series of words—wonder, space, refresh, menuha, and savor—in order to find the gospel speaking to us in days we might call lovely.
For the rest of Ordinary Time we will consider how the gospel speaks to our many varied days. We are using a book of prayers by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie called The Lives We Actually Have as our structure and a source of inspiration. Today’s sermon is about tired days. Addressing the great exhaustion of our culture, burnout, and quiet-quitting, we consider how a gospel understanding of leisure (thanks you Josef Pieper) might change our lives.
In this sermon we consider the question ‘what does it mean to be a Christian?’ Paul’s testimony of his own life comes into play, as well as a reflection on ocean waves and staying in the flow of grace while our rough edges are smoothed out.
In this sermon we continue our look at some of the great prayers of the Old Testament (preaching in concert with Walter Brueggemann's book about them). Today we look at Nehemiah’s prayer and what it has to do with the gospel.
In this sermon we continue our look at some of the great prayers of the Old Testament (preaching in concert with Walter Brueggemann's book about them). Today’s prayer comes from Ezra and singled minded devotion calls us to.
In this sermon we continue our look at some of the great prayers of the Old Testament (preaching in concert with Walter Brueggemann's book about them). Today we look at Hezekiah’s prayer at a pivotal moment describable in one word: help.
In this sermon we continue our look at some of the great prayers of the Old Testament (preaching in concert with Walter Brueggemann's book about them). Today we look at Jeremiah’s prayer after he performed an act of hope in the face of hopelessness (I love this story so much). We consider what it means for us to perform acts of hope as witnesses of Christ.
In this sermon we continue our look at some of the great prayers of the Old Testament (preaching in concert with Walter Brueggemann's book about them). Today we look at the prayer Jonah prays from the belly of a whale. We talk about how hard Jonah is working to get away from God, not because the task of preaching against Nineveh is too difficult but because God’s grace is too sure. The trouble is that while Jonah doesn’t like God's grace extended to his enemies, he is okay with God’s grace extended to himself. We consider what it means to embrace the full range of God’s mercy.
In this sermon we continue our look at some of the great prayers of the Old Testament (preaching in concert with Walter Brueggemann's book about them). Today we look at two prayers Solomon prayed that marked the trajectory of his life and explains why Jesus says that not even Solomon in all his luxury compares to the flowers and the birds. Where Solomon labors for money, sex, and power, the flowers and the birds labor in their joy and trust in God’s provision. We also consider Solomon’s prayer in light of Jesus’ prayer in his wilderness temptation and how they might relate.
In this sermon we continue our look at some of the great prayers of the Old Testament (preaching in concert with Walter Brueggemann's book about them). Today we look at a prayer David prayed upon his coronation as king. We look at his route to the throne. How God makes a new promise towards this royal bloodline. We look at the other promises of God prior to this moment and how they relate. And we consider what it means to pray with humility.
In this sermon we continue our look at some of the great prayers of the Old Testament (preaching in concert with Walter Brueggemann's book about them). Our focus in on Moses who among other things has the gall to quote God back to God in hopes that God will forgive God’s people. However, we also remember that God is not averse to consequences, that they are a part of our journey with Jesus, that they have the power to change us (for the better, ideally), and this all has to do with sanctification.
In this sermon we begin a series through some of the great prayers of the Old Testament (thank you, Walter Brueggemann). Our first prayer is about the time Abraham haggled with God to save a city. We look at his reverence and audacity as he prays, as well as how his prayer nods towards the way Jesus will teach us to pray much later. And, oh, a little bit on the Doctrine of the Trinity to kick things off (don’t worry, it makes sense).
In this sermon we celebrate Pentecost, the arrival of the Holy Spirit on God’s people and throughout the creation. With a little help from a scene in the film Arrival, a story about the time Derrida kept saying ‘cows’ in a lecture, the Truth and Reconciliation commission in South Africa, and all things Willie James Jennings we find ourselves drawn into the good news of the Holy Spirit drawing up close to God and one another in Christ.
In this sermon we celebrate the ascension of Jesus. We consider that the ascension has to do with Christ’s lordship over all things and that because he returns to the Father we have know we are in good hands. This, with a little help from C.S. Lewis’s The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and a story about a train attendant at the London Euston railway station who once saved the day.
In this sermon we look at what it means to follow a God who sets things in motion behind the scenes. It’s a sermon from the modern the era, perhaps. For people who are otherwise closed of God, but cannot escape that something beyond is pressing into their lives (and this with a little help from a 2012 film called Jeff Who Lives at Home).
In this sermon we talk about how the future of God was always meant for the eunuch even when for a thousand years it wasn’t.
In this sermon we consider what a loud concert taught me about (not) hearing God, how God meets us when there is no way, and what it means to be the Good Church of the Good Shepherd.
In this sermon we look at a moment where the disciples encounter the post-resurrection Jesus and we consider what it means to be aware of God’s presence in the room (thank you Nadia Bolz-Weber).
In this sermon we watch a guy iron a shirt and talk about the saints (Monica, Elizabeth Ann Seton, and Joan of the Cross).
In this sermon on Easter Sunday we turn to the resurrection of Jesus as Mark’s gospel tells it. We embrace the strangeness of Mark’s version and, with a little help again from The Shawshank Redemption, we hear the good news that Jesus is out there calling us into a future not foreclosed by death but made possible through his rising from the dead.
In this sermon on Good Friday we riff on a song lyric as way to grasp the heart of God on display in the death of Jesus. “I should’ve told you I could live without you, but I don’t want to.”
In this sermon we look at the story about Jesus cleansing the temple. We walk briskly through a history of the temple, into how it changed with Jesus, and then what it has to do with us and the cleansing of our own lives.
In this sermon we look at a moment in Jesus’ ministry as establishing something crucial about his work of salvation and who we are called to be as people, which is to serve.
In this sermon we return again to John the Baptist, however we focus on what it means for John (and for us) to point to Jesus. Touring through the lectionary passages for the day, we find that pointing to Jesus means imitating him.
In this sermon we join John the baptist “on the frontier as the ages collide” asking once again what it means to prepare the way for the Lord. We look at the opening lines of Mark’s gospel, what I’ve been learning about cooking, and a question.
In this sermon we begin the season of Advent (a week early, we know) by considering what kinds of holy disruptions the Spirit is eager to work in our lives.
In this sermon we proclaim that Christ reigns over all creation and we consider what it means to order our days in light of this good news.
In this sermon we wrap up our time with the Psalms by looking at the theme of creation. We remember that the creation is a thin place where we encounter the presence of God in a unique way. Namely, because we are around things that are not struggling to be anything other than what they are.
In this sermon we talk about sadness in the Psalms, how our culture downplays sadness, how sadness is a part of the gospel, and a cellist that played a sad song in a war zone, all while considering a Psalm that is sadness all the way down. You'll love it, I promise.
In this sermon we talk about the Psalms as poetry and how, as such, they teach us how to notice the world around in order to better attend to it with love.
In this sermon we look at the Psalms as they relate to prayer. We talk about the word ‘prayer,’ who taught us to pray, what it means to pray without ceasing, that Jesus prayed all the time, and what it means to long for God (with help from some fourth century thinkers).
In this sermon we consider what it means (and how to do it, a little) to cultivate the Psalms in our lives over time so that the story of God becomes the story of our lives.
In this sermon we look at the honesty of the Psalms and what it means for us to learn how to tell our own story in light of the gospel.
In this sermon we begin a new series on the Psalms. We introduce what they are, that they speak to the full range of human experience, and in praying them what it means to live between memory and hope.
In this sermon we begin a new series on the Psalms. We introduce what they are, that they speak to the full range of human experience, and in praying them what it means to live between memory and hope.
In this sermon we consider the word forgiveness. We look closely at forgiveness as it’s positioned in the Lord’s Prayer, noting it’s connection to our asking for daily bread and God’s desire to give such bread and forgiveness to us. We reflect on the power of the Amish community to forgive a violent attacker and what it means to be those kinds of people.
In this sermon we begin a series on discipleship, beginning with the idea that disciples are people who follow, stay put, abide, dwell with God. Discipleship is not an occasional thing but an everywhere-all-the-time thing.
In this sermon we consider what it means to confess that God is Trinity. Our goal is not to explain the mystery of the Trinity, but rather what this confession means. We look a little bit at the history on why there arose a need to clarify the Triune nature of God, which we read in the Nicene Creed. However, we mostly consider what it means to confess that God is Father, Son, and Spirit; what that means for salvation; and what it has to do with saying God is love.
In this sermon we talk about the giving of the Holy Spirit and what it has to do with being a people of peace.
In this sermon consider what the ascension of Jesus means in terms of worship. What the worship gathering is, why we do it, and how it relates to the rest of our lives.
In this sermon we consider how Jesus’ words about God as our advocate and never leaving us orphaned speaks to a culture of loneliness.
In this sermon we look at an important story in Acts about a time when God’s people had to discern past experiences in light of present circumstances.
In this sermon Tim Olson takes us into Hebrews and challenges us to allow the gospel to disrupt our lives and why that's good news.
In this sermon we focus on what it means to talk and discuss the things of faith, especially in the midst of division. We begin with Luke 24 and then turn to Acts 15 to a first century example of discerning the way forward when it's different from the past.
In this sermon we talk about the Christian understanding of hope in terms of God’s movement towards the poor, marginalized, and oppressed as the way in which God moves for all things.
In this sermon we focus on the resurrection of Jesus in John’s gospel, what it means to recognize God in this surprising but consistent way, and all the things that happen in the garden.
In this sermon we look at Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We focus on our expectations of who Jesus is, considering that God reveals who God is on God’s own terms not ours.
In this sermon we look at the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. We talk about empathy versus sympathy, how a zombie story helps us understand the Lazarus story, and an ancient poem by a guy named Simeon about waking up in Christ’s body.
In this sermon consider the story of man born blind but healed by Jesus, of what it means to see (with the help of a Bob Dylan song).
In this sermon we look at the famous conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, what it means to be pushed to the edges and why its necessary for growth, consider how the gospel can be misconstrued, talk about the phrase ‘born again’, what it means of Jesus to be ‘lifted up’, and mold.
In this sermon we consider Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, it’s connection to Israel’s story in wilderness after the exodus, a place called glass beach, and some challenging questions from Frederich Buechner.
In this sermon we reflect on Ash Wednesday, what it means to wear the ashes, a story about a father living in the hallways of joy and sadness, a film called Collateral Beauty, A song about useless beauty, a scene from Ted Lasso, what it means to give/pray/fast, and loving in the time that we have (thanks Iron and Wine).
In this sermon we look at the transfiguration of Jesus, the different expressions of light throughout the church year, Peter’s response and the various ways to interpret it, and Asbury University and the question of what it means to be in the presence of God.
In this sermon we look at the story about Jesus at the wedding in Cana. We consider what weddings were like back then, that there was a whole year of preparation leading up to this moment, and we consider the action of filling and pouring as first and second half of life matters (thank you Richard Rohr).
In this sermon we look at what discipleship meant in the first century Jewish context and consider what it might mean to be called to follow Jesus. Hint: calling begins with listening to God speak to you.
In this sermon we consider Jesus’ question to the disciples, “what are you looking for?” with a little help from U2, Clarence Jordan, and a personal experience.
In this sermon we look at the story of Jesus’ baptism, what it has to do with the season of Epiphany, and a string of connection about what it means to come up out of the waters towards the New Creation God is bringing about in Jesus. And some help, again, from Flannery O’Connor.
In this sermon we consider the story of the Magi and what it means to pay attention to the divine in both ordinary and extraordinary ways.
In this sermon Pastor Alicia McClintic considers the person of Mary as she ponders her experience of the birth of her son, Jesus.
In this sermon we enter into the nativity scene through the eyes of the family Herdman in order to see anew the story of Jesus’ birth.
In this sermon we look at the story of Joseph receiving news about Mary being pregnant and we consider through it what it means to confess that God is with us in the significant and insignificant things of life.
In this sermon Kevin Portillo takes into Isaiah to talk about joy and being brought home to God.
In this sermon we look the person of John the Baptist, what it means to expect him while being surprised by him, what it means to be called into the wilderness (on purpose), how what edges and tree rings have to teach us.
In this sermon we consider the season of Advent and what it means to live in light of the first and second coming of Jesus.
In this sermon we consider the importance of how we tell time and what it means for Christ to reign over our days.
In this sermon we conclude our look at the Sermon on the Mount. We talk about the metaphors Jesus ends with as an invitation to switch stories, to find our role within the story of God.
In this sermon we consider Jesus’ teaching about specks and logs in eyes, pearls before pigs, and what it means to ask, seek, and knock. We do this with the help of David Foster Wallace and his parable about fish. We consider what it means to become people capable of paying attention to what is often hidden just beneath the surface of our ordinary lives. This is to become compassionate people, people who want goodness for others.
In this sermon we talk about nature (birds, lilies, trees) as thin places where we sense God’s presence, a place where the veil between heaven and earth seems a little more see through and God a little more present. We consider what Wendell Berry’s reflection on trees has to teach us in this, and how a quote from a poet helped me understand why God seems more present in nature. We close with a reflection from the desert fathers and mothers (and the movie Contact) about what it means to detach from the world for the sake of better embracing it.
In this sermon we consider the connection between our inner and outer lives through Jesus’ teaching about giving, praying, and fasting. We consider what it means first to desire God, how to cultivate a desire for God, and how that flows out in our actions.
In this sermon we consider what it means for Jesus to fulfill the law and how he calls us to live in light of the end that God is makes possible in him.
In this sermon we look at Jesus’ teaching about being salt and light. We connect it to the Old Testament prophets who called God’s people to embody justice. And we have some fun doing this through the lamed-vavniks of the Jewish mystical tradition and a comedy bit about green eggs and ham.
In this sermon, Greg Ehlert walks us through the beatitudes and what it means to follow Jesus in light of them.
In this sermon consider Wendell Berry’s poem, The Farm, as a metaphor for the soul, looking particularly at what it means to tend to the soil of our lives.
In this sermon we consider our very divisive culture and what it means to love your neighbor.
In this sermon we look at a concept present in the Scriptures that has to abiding, vigilance, a fixed point, holding fast, praying without ceasing; or as Psalm 1 puts it, being like a tree planted by streams of water. It has to do with staying put and letting the transformative work of God happen, even when you can’t see it happening.
In this sermon look at the idea of blessing in the bible. We consider what it means to want the fullness of life for others.
In this sermon we reflect on Jesus healing a woman on the Sabbath and why it was the absolutely most appropriate thing to do.
In this sermon Nick Clarke invites us to remember. We are called to remember God, but also one another. He singles in on this recent pandemic season and the way so many people have felt lonely and disconnected as we come out of it. He urges us to remember our neighbor and the need we all have for connection.
In this sermon Kevin Portillo reflects on the book of Ephesians, practicing who you want to be in the future, and one time when he trained to climb a mountain.
In this sermon we consider what Paul means in his famous passage that Christ is before all things and in him all things hold together. With the help of Bonhoeffer, Yeats, a film called Gravity, and the James Webb Space telescope, we explore the modern predicament and how creation was meant to draw us into the life of God.
In this sermon we look through the lens of Ecclesiastes at the finiteness of all things in relation to the infinite and absolute reality of God, and we consider what it means to pray without the author of Psalm 139, that even in our finitude God is close and cares.
In this sermon we look at the controversy over Jesus saying that he is the bread of life. We consider his refusal of being a transactional, Santa Claus Messiah who gives us whatever we want in exchange for our devotion. We ask whether we are only reaching for the ‘bios’ kind of life, or beyond to the more fuller ‘zoe’ life.
In this sermon we look at a passage of Scripture about the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. We consider what it means for the Spirit to bring people so close together that they begin to speak one another’s language. We reflect on how the Spirit compels us to cross the gaps of this world for the sake of a new kind of togetherness called the church.
In this sermon we are called to lament after another mass shooting in the United States, this one taking place in Uvalde, Texas. We read this shooting through the lens of the ascension of Jesus into heaven. It is, as David Benjamin Blower says, an effort to drag our burdens through the street so that our hearts might break and things would change.
In this sermon we look at story about how deeply embedded the gospel moves in the particulars of the social world in which we live. We consider that the work of the Spirit is a disruptive liberation so that we might embrace the way of Jesus. We look at what it means to respond to the gospel, which is to embody a spirit of hospitality, of showing regard for the care of others.
In this sermon we go back to the first century in order to talk about worship. We look at what the early church did and how it shaped them to be witnesses of Jesus.
In this sermon we go back into the ministry of Jesus and read it anew in light of his death and resurrection. We look at what it means to line up behind someone with substance rather than the fleeting heroes and legends we’re so tempted to put our hopes in.
In this sermon we look at Peter’s story, particularly his interaction with the resurrected Jesus. We consider what it means for Jesus to restore him. We look at Jesus as modeling a way of restoring and dignifying people, showing hospitality, as an image of what discipleship looks like.
In this sermon we go back to those first Sunday nights when Jesus appeared to the disciples in the upper room. We consider what it means that Jesus is forming a community in that moment of scared and scarred people and that the gospel is made known when we show our wounds.
In this sermon we go back to the basics, back to those first moments of an empty tomb and Jesus appearing to some of the disciples, of how the resurrection changes everything, of what it means to recognize him in the breaking of bread and how every time we break bread we re-member him in our bodies and imitate him in our lives.
In this sermon we explore a dissonance that is at the heart of Christianity, the contrast between Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Jesus’ triumphal entry prepares us for the most illogical of things, God on a cross. In this we find peace and hope that wherever the rocks are crying out, God is there.
In this sermon we consider the story of Mary anointing Jesus with perfume. We read it through the lens of a man Vedran Smajlović who played music for twenty two days in a row at the exact spot where a mortar shell killed as many people, one day for each person. We consider how things like music and Mary’s offering are haunting and beautiful things that expose the death of Jesus to come, as well as points to hope that in Christ death is not the end.
In this sermon we consider what it means to live faithfully in the midst of the headlines. We consider a couple of headlines from Jesus’ day, what it means to ask big cosmic questions, and the faithfulness of the Ukrainian church right now.
In this sermon we follow Jesus into the wilderness where he is tempted. We consider what it means to come to the end of yourself (and what you might find when you get there), The Picture of Dorian Gray, and the dangerous grace of mirrors.
In this sermon (on Zoom) we look at the themes of Ash Wednesday from Matthew’s gospel, which is pray, fast, and give; and what it means to wear the ashes as a resistance against death’s reign.
In this sermon we talk about the transfiguration of Jesus, unpacking many of the layers of Scripture embedded into this story. We end by looking at the instruction to listen to Jesus, the disciple's response of silence, and how speaking begins in silence.
In this sermon we talk about what it means not to be a stumbling block, that is, a person who gets in the way of someone's path to God. We talk about the church as a social body where power is inverted (the lowly are lifted up and the mighty are brought down); where the marginalized and neglected are seen, and heard, and redeemed; and where accountability and forgiveness are practiced.
In this sermon we explore a bit about the first century context in which Jesus spoke these words and how absurd they would have been. We consider what it means to give this kind of radical and gracious treatment to everyone.
In this sermon we look at some hard-hitting words about of Jesus about blessings and woes. We put them into the context of Jesus’ jubilee proclamation, which is nothing less than a total reset of the social order. We see them in terms of empire versus God’s kingdom and how God is calling us to lose our grip on the way things are so that we might embrace what will be (thanks Barbara Brown Taylor for that last line).
In this sermon (given on Zoom) we slow down one of the fishing stories in the gospels in order to see the various human emotions and experiences involved. We attach words like futility, discouragement, empty, trust, persistence, resilience, abundance, calling, discipleship, and connection. We consider what it means to slow down and pay attention in order to see God breathing in all things.
In this sermon (given on Zoom) we focus on the reactions of the crowd to Jesus’ inaugural sermon. Embracing him at first, they eventually try to throw him off a cliff after he explains his message. We consider how the gospel disrupts our expectations and calls into a better way.
In this sermon we look at the story of the magi through a poem by T.S. Elliot called “Journey of the Magi”. Elliot reflects on the magi as a metaphor for the journey that we all must go on in order to experience Christ. We consider what it means to die to Herod’s world in order to be reborn in light of Christ. We see Epiphany as summarized in the line that we are “but no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation."
In this sermon guest speaker Andrew Soria takes us into Acts 1 and to this notion that part of what Epiphany means is that God's holiness has been revealed and what that means for us as the church.
In this sermon we linger in the season of Christmas in order to ponder what it means to confess, with the help of an ancient creed that we actually read word for word, that God is revealed in Christ, humanity and divinity together.
In this Christmas Eve sermon (recorded on Zoom) we talk about how God intrudes far away from the typical centers of power and about how, likely, it wasn’t a silent night (because babies and animals), but that it’s still right to sing about the calming peace of God in Christ.
In this sermon we look Mary; her powerful son of revolution; and how bring down the mighty and lifting up the lowly is not a reversal of power positions, but a bringing together of that which has been separated and a breaking of the system that makes such power over others possible in the first place.
In this sermon we look at the witness of John the Baptist; the importance of his location in the wilderness where he called people to transformation; and his practical advice about how to live in the midst of broken systems and how at every moment, even in our flawed efforts, we point to Christ.
In this sermon we talk about how Zechariah’s song ends in a great crescendo about peace. With the help of Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, we look at the power of making peace through truth-telling, forgiveness, and the long road of reconciliation.
In this sermon we return to the question of what our reference points are. What gives us our bearings, what we are looking to when everything feels like it's changing, and what we hope for for the future.
In this sermon we look at a key refrain from the wisdom literature about fear as the beginning of wisdom. We explore the understanding of fear in terms of paying attention, both to God and to the creation. We consider how paying attention to the ordinary things of life trains us to pray.
In this sermon we look at the story of Esther, the righteous thirty-sixers, and the ordinary moments we are given to save the world.
In this sermon we look at the word mercy, taking our cues from Micah’s context and reading them through the lens of a story by Bryan Stevenson.
In this sermon we look at the entire story of the book of Exodus as a paradigm for the soul’s journey of coming to know and love God.
In this sermon we talk about famous rivalries, bad neighbors, Jacob and Esau, the prodigal’s father, and the goal of neighboring.
In this sermon we look at a controversial and theologically demanding story. We read it through the lens of the ancient world in order to see how God is moving to change the narrative of what they thought they knew. We are challenged to see how God is rewriting the story of creation in Jesus.
In this sermon Wil Ryland explores the connections between Jesus' baptism and crucifixion and what it has to do with how we see everything.
In this sermon we reflect on the story of Abraham’s call, of what it means to be way in over our heads, how God put’s God’s own reputation on the line for the sake of creation’s restoration, and a story about how a bunch of strangers made a lonely man not feel so lonely.
In this sermon we look at an array of passages in order to reflect on how the ancient Hebrew people came to reflect on the relationship between God and creation. We talk about what these passages tell us about God, about humanity, and about how stories functioned for them not to capture events in history but in order to say something true about God for all time.
In this sermon we look at the struggle of creation to live into the fullness of life, the drama of desire, a Rilke poem, and the worst thing we can do as humans.
In this sermon we talk about human vocation, God speaking, the nones, the mega-church mentality, competing cultural liturgies, and the reason for our existence.
In this sermon we start a new series called Origin Stories. We look at the first creation in Genesis not in terms of its relationship to scientific theories about the beginning of all things, but as a story Israel wrote down in exile to be a symbol of stability in a time of great instability.
In this sermon we explore through the story of Jonah the gift and necessity of coming to the end of your self, resigned into the darkness of a whale's belly, as the only way of dealing with the monsters that lurk beneath the surface of our souls.
In this sermon we look at Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 in terms of what it means to be people of substance, people whose insides match up with their outsides, where our motivation and actions are aligned and we are living authentically.
In this sermon look at the story of Peter. Through him we see an image of the soul’s journey of calling, adventure, risk, testing, failure, and homecoming.
In this sermon we talk about judgment. It’s a word that comes with a lot of baggage, but still very important when looked at in a particular way. We talk about judgment in terms of restoration and God putting the world to rights; about refining fires; about heaven and hell in terms of God’s love and how love can hurt when we are not ready to receive it; and about cancel culture and the next move after someone gets a pie in their face.
In this sermon we look at what it means to conspire with God. We talk about an old Latin word, God’s name, and what a Japanese scientist taught me about the power of words to shape the world.
In this sermon we consider what it means to say that the Spirit leads us downwards in the way of Jesus who emptied himself for us. We name the false story of upwards mobility as money, power, and sex appeal in order to embrace a life in solidarity with the poor and oppressed.
In this sermon we talk about perfection, not as never making our mistakes, but as being pointed towards our end in God even in the midst of our mistakes.
In this sermon we consider what it means for our lives not to be determined any single moment, but of a bigger picture of God. We talk about joy in the trials, about maturity, the designation and the journey, having a single focus, an ancient Chinese parable, and why butterflies have to struggle
In this sermon we consider how Jesus’ teaching that to love God is to love your neighbor as yourself was something he had on repeat in everything he said throughout his ministry. We complicate the notion of love by considering the call to love even our enemies. We link this to Pentecost as the Spirit moves to join people from across boundaries, overcoming tribalism and fear for a new kind of joining together. We talk about what it means to be living sacrifices of this love as we pursue justice and mercy.
In this sermon we consider what it means to be drawn to God, to know God, and to be transformed by God. We look at Paul’s imagery of putting off the old self for the sake of the new. We talk about the oldest tree in the world as a symbol of the spiritual journey of staying put before God. We talk about the different terrains we face as put off the old self. We talk about compassion as what it means to know God and that the spiritual disciplines are there in order for us to become compassionate people in the way of Jesus.
In this sermon, with the help of the high lonesome sound, a story about my cousin’s wetsuit, and a couple of movies, we reflect on Paul’s notion of groaning both as we await our adoption and redemption, as well as how the Spirit groans with us.
In this sermon we look at the ascension of Jesus, the question of power, and the importance of the one who presides over all things. We challenge some assumptions that the ascension of Jesus is about some kind of departure of the material world. Instead we argue for his ascension as him coming close to us in creation. In this we are challenged with the question of what the Lordship of Christ means for us today.
In this sermon we look at the future of inclusion and an ever-expanding “we” that God wants for us.
In this sermon was talk about what many have been feeling in this pandemic season, which is isolation and loneliness. We talk about loneliness as having to do with human connection in various ways, but also in our having a sense of our own worthiness to love and be loved. We find hope and good news in this image of Jesus as the good shepherd who seeks us out and calls us to seek out the lonely as well.
In this sermon we consider why the bodily resurrection of Jesus matters so much. With the deaths of Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo in mind, as well ongoing mass shootings in American culture, we consider what it means to be drawn into a new kind of future with bodies being made fit for the new creation.
In this sermon, we read the story of Thomas through the lens of grief. We consider that part of what it means to be sent as Jesus was sent is to show up in solidarity with others, showing our wounds and saying that we get it. In this kind of vulnerability, the final word becomes possible. Peace.
In this sermon we look at the cliffhanger ending of Mark’s gospel considering the tension between past and future, the empty tomb and the promise that Jesus will meet them in Galilee, and what means for us to walk out of our own tombs into a future made possible because of Jesus’ resurrection. And this with a healthy dose of the Shawshank Redemption to help us imagine it.
In this sermon we reflect on what Jesus’ so-called triumphal entry means, particularly the symbolism of him riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. We draw on the Alexamenos Graffito to consider how the ancient church flipped the satirical image of a donkey and embraced it as a badge of honor.
In this sermon look at what it means for Jesus to say that his hour has come, what that hour means, what it has to do with the arrival of some gentiles at the passover, and how the crucified body of Jesus, a body broken, porous, not intact, not holding it all together, whose insides commingle with its outsides becomes a means of grace for all such that the old boundaries of exclusion are relativized in light of it and a new future is made possible for all because of it.
In this sermon look at what it means for Jesus to say that the Son of Man must be lifted up, how God challenges our assumptions about what we think we know, and the qualitative (versus quantitative) aspect of how God so loved the world, as well as a few other things in this famous passage in John’s gospel.
In this sermon we look at what it means to stay faithful to God amidst the continuity and change of life, as well as our understanding of God, especially when not all continuity is faithful and not all change is good.
In this sermon we explore through the story of Jesus' transfiguration our expectations of God versus the reality of God.
In this sermon Nick Clarke, with a little help from Mumford and Sons, takes us into the scriptures about Lent, baptism, death, resurrection, and what it means to know that we, with Jesus, are beloved.
In this sermon we focus on the significance of the ashes. Along with reflecting on our mortality as humans in light of the eternity of God's presence, we consider how the ashes also remind us that we are also called to live our lives as gifts that God has given us. In particular we think about how the ashes as small particles remind us that everything is interconnected and sharing in the life of God's creation.
In this sermon we consider the social implications of the transfiguration of Jesus as it speaks to the call of non-violence and peacemaking. We talk about a recent AEI survey on evangelicals and violence, a nine-year-old girl pepper sprayed by police, a former Guantanamo prison inmate, and cancel culture. All in light of the mountain where Jesus is transfigured and what it has to do with liberation and making peace.
In this sermon we talk about the theme of service and what it means to serve the world. We set it in the context of Jesus’ teaching the disciples that the Son of Man came to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. We focus specifically on Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law. We unpack the significant of the words fever, raised, and served in that moment. Fever has social implications. Raised prefigured the resurrection. Serving is indicative of the resurrected life. We argue that serving the world means resisting death in all its form in society that move to diminish human life.
In this sermon we we draw on Jesus’ teaching with authority in the synagogue and (mostly) Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians about eating meat sacrificed to idols in order to talk about the question of authority, truth, reality, knowledge and information, love, the news, first century dining-out habits in Rome, a Christian conscience versus merely abiding by a list of dos and don’ts, biases versus ideologies (think streams of living water versus broken cisterns), and something you might do to help you discern the truth in any given moment.
In this sermon we look at the story of Jonah. We consider the power dynamics between Jonah from Israel and the Nineveh, the capital of Assyria and the world’s superpower at the time. We talk about the connection between mercy and justice, and that reconciliation is not merely glossing over the wrongs but truly facing them. We see that the church’s witness, shaped by Jesus, is to demonstrate or make a spectacle of the powers in order to mirror back to them their own brokenness. It is to drag out burdens through the street in to show what this empire is doing to me (thank you very much David Benjamin Blower for this line).
In this sermon we consider how Nathanael teaches us to address a cultural moment like ours in America on the heels of the capitol riots a couple weeks ago. We consider that part of what Epiphany is about is learning how to get Jesus right. We consider how truth and one’s perception of reality are on trial today and that we live in a culture of “truth decay”. We name, again, the confusion and co-opting of Christianity by right wing politics, particularly in white Evangelicals. We name both the acute and chronic forms of violence in American that existed previously and beyond the capitol riots. From Nathanael we consider what it means to be free from falsehood and deceit, what it means to be able to question truthfully, and the ability to be changed by a truth you did not previously believe.
In this sermon we reflect on the rioting and pillaging of the United States capitol on January 6 in light of the gospel reading on the first of Epiphany, which is the story about Herod and Magi. We consider the Magi’s ability to discern the truth and to resist the violence of dictators like Herod. We consider the confusion and co-opting of Christianity by right wing politics in America today. We name the delusion of white evangelical Christians in this culture. We reflect on the Tonto principle of Christian ethics (thank you Stanley Hauerwas) in order to address the confusion of a Christian identity versus an American one.
In this sermon we talk about home and the new, we talk about baseball and knowing some again for the first time (thank you T.S. Elliot and Bart Giamatti), how God is both where we come from and where we are going, what it means to rest in God, how humans are the only creature that resist what they are created to be, and how God in Christ retells the story of creation but with a better ending.
In this sermon we look at the words Simeon and Anna spoke of Jesus as a baby. We consider what it means for an ending to also be a beginning, about how our lives contribute to what’s next, and having a fierce joy despite the evidence. And all of this with some help from Wendell Berry.
In this sermon we explore two aspects of the nativity scene: the manger and the shepherds. We consider the ordinariness of the shepherds, the eucharistic connections to the manger, of Jesus as God’s provision for the life of the world, why there are even donkeys in the nativity scene, and what Howard Thurman has to say about the work of Christmas. Merry Christmas!
In this sermon we dive into Mary’s song by looking at the woman who came before her: Hannah, Deborah, Jael, and, of course, Miriam. Prophetesses and barren woman who singing similar songs and make room for God in similar ways. We see in Mary an image of what it means to be the church. We consider the question of what is God trying to bring into the world through us?
In this sermon we talk about joy. We consider joy as a sign of the existence of God, the difference between lower-case joy and upper-case Joy, joy as the practice of embracing cynicism by going further than it, joy as an act of resistance, and what that octopus documentary teaches us about joy.
In this sermon we talk about peace and wilderness. We consider John the Baptist as a reliable guide into the wilderness that Advent calls us into. We consider how peace is found when we do not struggle to be anything other than what God made us. We understand that confession and repentance is the work we are called to do in the wilderness. We come to see that growth happens as we are pushed to the edges of our self.
In this sermon we set the stage for Advent. We consider how Advent is pregnant time, what it means to live in the time between the time, and how the beginning of Advent is always apocalyptic wherein God wants to mess with our reference points.
In this sermon we look at what it means to say that Jesus’ death somehow enacts God’s forgiveness of Sins, what it means confess that God is in the flesh of the crucified body of Jesus, and how we as the church are to bear witness to these things by embodying the same forgiveness in the same way.
In this sermon we focus in particular on the two parables at the end of chapter twenty-five. The question of where is God in all of this guides us. We consider how in the parable of the talents, God is to be found in the third slave who is cast out, just as Jesus is about to be, because he doesn’t play according to the rules of the world. We consider in the parable about the sheep and the goats that we are about to see Jesus as all of these things: hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, and in prison. This is the place where we must learn to recognize God’s presence.
In this sermon Pastor Jeffrey Purganan offers a wonderful pre-election sermon about who God is and what it means to be the church today, about how to navigate our way through political division, and what it means to put our trust in God.
In this sermon we consider the role that questions play in the life of faith, that questions are how we come to esteem the sacredness of life as we learn how to see God in all things and all things in God. We consider how the problem was not that the Pharisees and Sadducees questioned Jesus, but that they’re weren’t actually questioning him. They had already decided what they think, thus closing themselves off from God. Their questions are actually questions we should never stop asking as we pursue the way of faith.
“Part of what I’d like to reflect on today is that perhaps these particular questions that they ask of Jesus are in many ways questions that we should never stop asking. The question of paying taxes to Caesar is a question about idolatry and ones allegiance to God over everything. The question about the resurrection is a question about God’s provision and our hope for a future. The question about the greatest commandment is a question about ones purpose in the world. Even Jesus’ question to them is a theological question about who we say that he is. These are questions that we never stop asking. And as we’ll see in a moment to stop asking these questions is like showing up to a wedding in the wrong clothes.”
In this sermon we consider the prophetic words and ministry of Jesus speaking not just to God’s people in first century but to a divided church today living in a culture of us versus them. We consider how this chapter challenged us in our settledness about who we think God is and what it means to be God’s people.
“I can’t think of a better time than an election year to read this chapter in order to remind us that we are Christians, not Republicans. We are Christians, not Democrats. Our politics are determined by the way of the cross. Our allegiance is to Christ, not America. We don’t have a legislative agenda because everything has already been accomplished by the work of Christ on the cross. Our work in the world is simply to bear witness to that by how we love and serve the people around us for his sake, and by taking our cues from the prophetic witness of Jesus to be about faithful worship and to purse just and equitable relationships.”
In this sermon we talk about spiritual transformation of learning how to see. We consider how the envious laborers and power-hungry disciples are focused on first-half of life questions (thank you Richard Rohr). We consider how maturing into the second half of life (which has nothing strictly to do with age) is about moving away from the mode of self-interest, individualism, consumerism, etc. and towards a real posture of love and joy in God’s creation. In the end, we see this journey of learning how to see as the real work of contemplation that Jesus has always called us to.
In this sermon see how Jesus subverts the disciple’s question about who among them is the greatest by telling them to become like children. We focus on what it means not to be a stumbling block but rather a conduit for people to come and know God. We consider how Jesus subverts the power structures of both his day and ours in that going after the one lost sheep indicates God’s preference for the marginalized and oppressed. We consider the call to exponential forgiveness, one that does not shy away from justice, but has reconciliation as its ultimate goal.
In this sermon we explore the theme of God’s hope and provision in the midst of life when so much around us looks like despair. We consider the exodus story as the background to the transfiguration of Jesus, as well as the following story about why the disciples could not perform a healing because of their lack of faith. We consider the connection between faith and our recognizing the glory of God in the crucified Christ. We examine closely this strange story about a money dispensing fish and what it has to do with God’s provision and hope in the midst of empire.
In this sermon we focus on the way of the cross. We see this theme as central in this chapter. We consider how on this side of 2000 + years it’s easy to forget how strange it was for the Messiah to say that he will suffer and die. We explore the two responses of Peter in this moment as the ongoing responses of the church that wants a Messiah, but not always one that suffers and dies, that we are always looking for safer paths than that of following Jesus. We talk about what self-denial means, not as the abjuration of self-care but as a question of who you follow (and we’re all following something). We understand the question of “who do you say that I am?” as the perennial question of discipleship that every generation must ask and answer.
In this sermon we focused on the story of the Canaanite woman. Here we see a Jesus we are not used to, a seemingly offensive Jesus acting from his privilege against this woman from another culture. We explore the possibility that maybe in this moment Jesus is doing the redemptive work of overcoming his social situatedness for the sake the kingdom. We also explored the dynamic that this woman approached Jesus the way Israel approached Yahweh, with lament and urging for God to make good on God’s promises. We see her holding Jesus accountable to the fullness of the promise that the gospel is not just for Jews but Gentiles, too. In the end we considered three things: (1) that this woman looks a lot like Lady Wisdom calling out to us about righteousness, justice, and equity; (2) that the gospel is for those who are not like us; (3) that even Jesus as fully human had social particularities that gave him privilege and power that he had to address and overcome, and that we are called to face the particularizes of our own lives in this same way.
In this sermon we compared the difference between competition and compassion as two different ways of seeing the world. One is based on fear. The other is based on faith. We did this by looking at three different stories that Matthew pairs together in this chapter and considered how they each relate to one another. Competition is rooted in self-interest that normalizes the reality that there must be winners and losers in order for society to function. Compassion is rooted in self-giving that sees others not as obstacles to overcome, or resources to be use for our own benefit, but as gifts because we need each other in order to be whole.
In this sermon we talked about the power of a story to break through in a way that basic information cannot. Parables, stories help us visualize and even change us. We tried to show the extravagant, patient, all-consuming, mysterious grace and love and justice of God in action by pairing them up with stories from today that we can all relate to.
In this sermon we talked about the connection between wisdom and Sabbath. Wisdom means to receive instruction in order to gain prudence and discretion in all things relating to righteousness, justice, and equity (Proverbs 1). Sabbath is about joy and justice. Sabbath begins with gratitude and delight in God’s goodness and moves into the question of justice for those who don’t experience it, who suffer in this world and for whom gratitude and joy are blocked by their current circumstances. We reviewed the movement from Exodus 20 to Deuteronomy 5. This leads into the Sabbath way of life, which is not just about crashing on the couch at the end of the week but a way of life that affects everything, all moments, every relationship for the sake of joy and justice. Because Sabbath and wisdom are connected, here, we can say that this is how God intended creation to flow. God’s original intent for creation. We talked about the Pharisees pushing for controversy because they don’t get who Jesus is, as one greater than the temple, greatest of prophets, greatest of wisdom. They are not wise because they don’t see he is from God. Their words betray their foolishness, not wisdom. Those who see who Jesus is are those who do the will of God, i.e. wisdom/Sabbath.
In this sermon we talked about Matthew’s use of the wisdom tradition in order to say something about who Jesus is and what it means to be his people. Taking our cues from this image of being yoked to Jesus, we considered the good news that Jesus is like Lady Wisdom from the book of Proverbs calling out to us in the streets to walk in a better, more life-giving way. We talked about how wisdom means that knowing God and knowing ourselves are deeply connected. We talked about how wisdom is vindicated by her deeds, specifically righteousness, justice, and equity.
In this sermon we talked about the question of authority. We raised the question with the help of a wonderful scene from O Brother Where Art Thou, which connects nicely to the gospel reading about the problem of authority. Jesus’ authority is first shown as teacher (chapter 5-7) and now healer. We talked about how miracle stories establish this authority, and how discipleship is the proper response. Discipleship means trusting in God and serving in Christ’s likeness. We raised the question of authority in our culture and the problem of knowing who and what to trust. We suggested that a beginning point was to be suspicious of so-called authorities that oppress, exploit, and violate others. Authentic authority, then, in the way of Jesus, is seen in those who are transparent, accountable, and vulnerable; those who seek to enhance life rather than diminish it. We find in Jesus our example as we look at his miracles (outsiders/marginalized are brought in).
In this sermon we find, with the help of David Foster Wallace, a common thread strung throughout Matthew 7. Beginning with Jesus’ instruction not to judge, we consider what it means not to think ourselves more superior to others, but to look inward first before we do anything in order to let compassion guide us in our relationships.
In this sermon we a take a tour though the words of Isaiah, Paul, and Jesus highlighting the idea that we are called to demonstrate the love of God through lives of compassion and justice.
In this sermon we talk about the cruciform (cross-shaped) way of life, how the divisions in Corinth contradict the way of the cross, how being obedient to death on a cross is the most Godlike thing God can do, how “doing this in remembrance of me” is about more than eating bread crumbs and grape juice every week, how what unites us is way more than what divides us, and how the church’s witness is hindered by disunity.
In this sermon we talk about individualism, ubuntu, zombies, unity, and what it all has to do with us.
In this sermon we explore the theme of Epiphany, the disclosure of something previously unknown. We look at a story by Scott Russell Sanders about trying to see a comet in the night sky, the story of creation and how the Spirit broods like a hen over creation, how everything is charged with grandeur of God (thank you Mr. Hopkins), a story by Flannery O’Connor about a racist bigot who sees the light, and what it all has to do with Jesus’ baptism.
In this sermon we look at three Scripture readings and what they have to do with the season of Christmas. We begin with a passage from Jeremiah and how you have know hopelessness before you know hope. We look at the Christmas story in John’s gospel. Yes, it’s there. A single verse: the word became flesh and dwelt among us. Finally, we look at a passage from Ephesians and a big word about how God retells the story of a broken creation as a story of redemption. We are invited to begin to notice that Christmas is about being on the threshold of something mysterious and wonderful and bigger than we are.
In this sermon we look at Jesus’ journey as a child from Bethlehem to Egypt and back to Nazareth. We consider what this says about God’s identity and character of being for the redemption of the poor. We connect this to a wonderful summary of the gospel in the book of Hebrews. We reflect on the failure of Herod’s rampage against toddlers. We look at the mystery of resurrection.
In this sermon we look at the Christmas story, highlighting the character of Joseph in particular, and asking the question of why wasn’t he in his home town of Bethlehem in the first place?
In this sermon we talk about the holy family. We look at the messiness of Jesus’ family tree and how in spite of it he is beginning of the New Creation.
In this sermon we consider what it means to be a pawn in a game we can’t win, how Jesus comes and changes the game, how the gospel invites us beyond the same old thing, and what a super bloom of flowers has to teach us about waiting and hope.
In this sermon we begin with the question of what constitutes a good king in the Old Testament and what makes for a bad one. We connect this to John the Baptist and what it means to go out into the wilderness. We consider how Advent is an invitation to get lost.
In this sermon we talk about Advent and living in-between the first and second coming of Jesus, about perception and how Advent is a season of remembering that we aren’t where we think we are, about how God moves to bring down even our most cherished symbols, and finally about the work of waiting as beating our swords into plowshares.
In this sermon we talk about it means to tell time as God’s people and that how we tell time is connected to the Lordship of Christ. We talk about baptism as the pattern that shapes our days. We walk about how God’s people have always kept time in a particular way. We look at the story of the kings of Israel as a story of poor time-keeping and forgetting that God is king. We end with a question of if we were to line up our days, what story would they tell?
In this sermon we wrap up our six week series on neighboring, looking specifically at what we do when we have a neighbor we can’t seem to get along with. We look at how forgiveness, reconciliation, and peacemaking are absolute when it comes to neighboring. We talk about some steps to take in assessing and responding to friction with people. We consider a powerful story from real life and what could happen if we take Jesus seriously to love our neighbor as our self.
In this sermon we talk about healthy boundaries in neighboring, as well as focusing on quality relationships. We begin with a theological take on boundaries, which is that they aren’t meant to keep us a part, but to help us love better (this involved a fun bit on the doctrine of the Trinity). We explore through the Cain and Abel story, as well as the Good Samaritan that whether good neighboring involves saying either yes or no, both can be in love. We then talk about focusing our time and energy when it comes to neighboring, that there are different kinds of belonging in relationships (public, social, personal, and intimate), and that like the seventy-two Jesus sends out, we are to look for people of peace in our neighborhood, to connect with people who seem open to it.
In this sermon we rethink evangelism and witness. We consider the priority of actions before words, how even in a secular age people are always searching for transcendence and spiritual meaning, ulterior versus ultimate motives, how neighboring is not an evangelism strategy, and how our stories are our witness.
In this sermon we begin with the feeling that many of us have no idea where to begin when it comes to neighboring. We consider the two movements of neighboring (from strangers to acquaintances to relationship), how neighboring is about looking for opportunity to connect beginning the smallest ways, how we’re wired as humans for relationships, one of my favorite Anne Lamott stories (you know the one), and that calling people by name is sacred and holy thing because that’s what God does to us.
In this sermon we look at how neighboring makes us reconsider our sense of time, as well as face up to our fears. We talk about not harvesting all of our time, how fear leads to missed opportunities, neural pathways and synapses, how many times Jesus was interrupted, and one of my favorite Kurt Vonnegut essays.
In this sermon we begin a new series called “Neighboring” where we talk about the Greatest Commandment, the map challenge, the basics of local community, naming the tensions and fears, the Rublev Trinity icon, neighboring as participating in the divine, and a different kind of bucket challenge.
In this sermon we tell the story of the Rio Olympics Bay clean up controversy and how they turned trash into art, Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem and the ensuing conflict, the Sabbath way of life as justice and compassion, a woman who gave more than should have, and why the rejected stone is vindicated.
In this sermon we talk about “the one thing”, why the kingdom belongs to children, how the rich young ruler lost the story, and what’s like to feel the story of God again, with help from the official rule book of Major League Baseball, Kirk Gibson’s famous home run, John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, a painting about how to become an explorer, and a really famous Heschel quote.