He leads me each day, (Provider God) He created me needy, and messy. i see beauty and brokenness, abandonment and acceptance, hope and dread, mourning and dancing, weeping and laughter, death and resurrection, blooming and wilting, wonder and monotony, smiling and wincing, emptiness and abundance, darkness and illumination, saying and silence, complexity and simplicity, embracing more »
Category: sermon readings
It’s Friday
It’s Friday and He’s there… Suffering unimaginable traumas. He is deserted by fearful disciples, surrounded by tormentors, thieves, murderers, and religious provocateurs. Soldiers gaming over the final scant possessions of the Master of creation, ignore the darkening sky. Jesus cries out: “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?” On this holy day, God’s more »
What Kind of Church is It?
We often categorize our churches with fancy titles: Relevant, emergent, classic, reformed, fundamentalist, traditional, contemporary, liturgical, purpose-driven etc… The list is really endless and the subtleties of each model vary. But what kind of church are we? Really… Some churches are more like a country club, complete with secret handshakes, special membership privileges, and perks for more »
A Word of Advice from Jesus’ Mother
There are many universal sayings that all mothers end up reciting at least once if not a thousand times. Wash your hands before eating. Play fair. Don’t follow the crowd. Be yourself. Trust me. Get some rest. Pull those weeds in the back or they’ll kill the tulips! Listen to your father. Don’t go out more »
It is Friday
Jesus remains on the cross, suffering unimaginable traumas. He is deserted by fearful disciples, surrounded by tormentors, thieves, murderers, and religious provocateurs. Soldiers gaming over the final scant possessions of the Master of creation, ignore the darkening sky. Jesus cries out: “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?” On this holy day, God’s more »
He Forgives Them All
The tone of religion, more often than not, rings as a dirge of condemnation. We see the old crooked finger of legalism and malicious apologetics steadily pointing into the mass of stumbling sinners, almost relishing the chance to find a scapegoat for the brokenness of the world. But as we look at the cross and more »
Grace and Recompense
This Fire of Love unquenched by Eden’s wreck and flowing seemingly in perpetuity toward all that soon will be in all its violent beauty He shall hold all hell’s poison and heaven’s glory. Small beginning, love’s grandest story from the heartbeat in a virgin’s womb til one Sunday rising from the tomb One for all… more »
You Can Have It All
He Knows It All
There is a comfort of grace, in discovering that He knows it all and remains. He sees through our well-scripted liturgies, our intricate facades and discovers the child hiding inside us. When we realize that He sees all the details– the real us and loves us still, life, perhaps for the first time, becomes real. more »
Mysterious Peace
There is a mysterious peace when you have been left with only Jesus. when there is desolation and pain— when the burden is greater than you thought you could bear— when the darkness gathers around you— even after goodbyes are said— He is the faithful friend who is ever beside you when all others forsake more »