Matthew 21:1-11 What was it like in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday? Imagine the intensity as spiritual pilgrims flood the city for the Passover Festival. People jostle in packed markets, hoping to get a large, tender lamb. Vendors haggle to get the best-inflated price for their stock. The Temple bustles with last-minute cleaning and decorating; clinking … Continue reading How to Enter Jerusalem
John 4:5-26 Lent 3: March 12, 2023 Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." I often wake in the night with my mouth dry as sand and my tongue stuck to the … Continue reading Looking for the Thirst Quencher
John 3:1-17 March 5, 2023 Nicodemus, a Pharisee, comes to Jesus at night for a clandestine chat. I wonder what is on his mind, what he wants. Is he on a spiritual quest, or testing Jesus to find his weakness, or hoping for an alliance in religious politics? In line with our Lenten theme, is … Continue reading Looking for the Spirit
Matthew 4:1-11 First Sunday of Lent Let’s jump right in and talk about Satan! The song in my head this week is the Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil,” which begins: Please allow me to introduce myself; I’m a man of wealth and taste. Please to meet you, hope you guess my name.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgnClrx8N2k As … Continue reading Resisting Diablo
Transfiguration Sunday Matthew 17:1-9 In Bible study on Monday, we looked at the word study of "Transfiguration." In Matthew, the Greek word is "metamorphou" as the English metamorphosis. A metamorphosis is a change from one thing into another. Meta means after, and morph means form, so we get an "after-form." In science, a metamorphosis is … Continue reading Metamorphosis
Matthew 5:21-26 “You have heard it said, don’t commit murder….” Of course, you have heard that said because it is in the Ten Commandments. Even if you haven’t read much of the Bible, you can probably name eight of the ten commandments. It’s easy to forget a couple, like don’t worship graven images. I always … Continue reading Murder Mystery Spirituality
Matthew 5:13-20 Jesus said you are the salt of the earth. Salt is a life essential that is taken for granted. You probably did not think much about salt this week, but consider how often you unknowingly use and need it. Salt is more than a condiment to make our food taste better. Our body … Continue reading Salt of the Earth
Matthew 5:3-12 There is great power in blessing people. One of our rotating outdoor banners says, "Be a Blessing, Practice Peace, Be Joyful, Lead with Love, etc." I often use it as a benediction. I have been called upon to bless many things, marriages, babies, houses, the Fleet and Jr. Fleet, the Community Refrigerator, town … Continue reading The Blessings We Need
Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 January 15, 2022 “For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.” Ecclesiastes is the most pessimistic and skeptical book in the Old Testament. Few sermons come from the book, yet these words sound like old friends. Pete Seegar set this text to music in 1959 because he … Continue reading What Time is It?
Matthew 11:2-11 “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” I wonder what John the Baptist and his disciples were hearing and seeing that led to this question in the first place. Just last Sunday, in our scripture lesson in Matthew 3, John proclaimed that one is coming … Continue reading Facing Disappointment With God’s Work
With all my soul 