Advent 1 Mark 13: 24-37 December 3, 2023 Keep awake! Be alert! Big things are coming, cosmic shifting events. But honestly, I feel too wakeful, almost hyper-alert. I tire from being watchful. Sometimes, staying awake is hard, even with the best intentions. My college Ancient History class began at 8:00 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. … Continue reading Being Present With Hope
Jeremiah 32:1-15 In 1946, a group of Bedouin teenage boys herding goats on the West Bank of the Jordan River were about to change history. A boy threw a rock into a hole in the cliff for no reason other than he was a boy with a rock. To his surprise, he heard something shatter … Continue reading Hope in Clay Jars
Hebrews 11:1-16 "Do you have the courage to be optimistic?" This question landed in my inbox Tuesday. It's not a quote from scripture, a leadership book, or a morning devotional, but a promotion from my local bank. I often delete these immediately, but it felt on topic with my sermon, "Faith is the assurance of … Continue reading A Hope in Things Unseen
Romans 5:1-5 Hope does not disappoint us. Paul’s statement is quite bold. If this is true, why do I often feel disappointed? Am I hoping in the wrong way? Reinhold Niebuhr said if you feel disillusioned it is likely because you believed in illusions to begin with. Is this my problem? Were my hopes too … Continue reading Hope Does Not Disappoint Us
I'm not preaching on October 1, so I'm looking ahead to October 8. This sermon was preached on World Communion Sunday in 2014. I think you will find the exegesis on the theme of vineyards in the Hebrew scriptures still very relevant to our current situation. Todd - With All My Soul. World Communion Sunday … Continue reading Wild Grapes, Wicked Tenants and God the Constant Gardener
As I open the newspaper this morning, the Greeks are demonstrating and the European Union is under threat of collapse, Congress is debating lifting the debt ceiling to a number higher than the miles to Alpha Centauri, the Russians won’t buy vegetables in Europe due to an E. coli outbreak, and the Supreme Court struck … Continue reading Parables of Hope – July Sermon themes
As Christmas draws near, hope abounds. Stores offer discounts raising hopes of giving and getting what we want. Family makes plans to get together, plane tickets are purchased, menus are planned, trees are raised, lights ablaze and our hearts are warmed at the thoughts of a joyful Christmas. Working in a homeless shelter gives me … Continue reading Matthew 11:2-11 “Hope over Disappointment”
With all my soul 