(A sermon for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost A 2017, August 13, 2017, based on Matthew 14:22-33 and 1 Kings 19:9-18) This week hatred and its hideous cousin, fear, reared their ugly heads once again. They showed up with all their usual terrifying baggage: tweets and taunts and threats, as they strutted across … More Love Casts Out Fear and Conquers Hate
(Sermon for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany A, based on Matthew 5:1-12, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Micah 6:6-8) I’ll never forget the day about twenty years ago, when I was on my seminary internship, and my supervisor said to me, “For every pastor there comes a time when you have to decide, ‘What … More The Power of the Cross
I earned a new nickname this week: “Comrade Pastor.” Wow!… My new moniker was part of a lengthy email we received in the church office this past week. I’m not sure how I feel about being dubbed “Comrade Pastor.” Part of me feels resigned to the fact that this is … More A Love Letter to My Haters
Last week the house across the street went up for sale. As soon as the box of flyers appeared, I made a beeline across the street and grabbed one. As I dropped my eyes to look at the price, I heard a female voice say, “How much do they want for it?” I turned around and saw a middle-aged woman who had stopped … More A Holy Conversation in the Street
Rose City Ramblin' 