February 2014

  • On Perfect Christians

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    a Sermon for Epiphany 7A Text: Matthew 5:38-48 Rebelling against Jesus You’ve probably seen this phrase on a book cover or on a church sign. It reads: “no perfect people allowed.” Kind of catchy, isn’t it? We don’t want perfect. We don’t really want to be perfect, do we? The phrase also has a sly…

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  • It doesn’t count as the right thing

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    If you stop doing it for other reasons. Our recycling center has stopped taking glass. A sign posted on the locked dumpster said: Due to a drop in demand, we will not be taking glass for the foreseeable future. Now the dumpsters are gone entirely. I understand that “free” recycling is paid for by the…

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  • To Break Free From Ignorance and Pain

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    a Sermon for Epiphany 6A Text: Matthew 5:21-37 A most unreasonable request We’re following Jesus up the side of a mountain and we’re hearing His most famous sermon. A sermon that begins with blessings: (blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek…). A sermon that highlights all the wondrous things that GOD…

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  • On the Mountainside

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    a Sermon for Epiphany 5A Text: Matthew 5:13-20 Going up the mountain Jesus begins walking up a mountain. He invites His disciples to join Him. Finding Jesus up a mountain. We would be hard-pressed to avoid that image here of the holy man and a mountain-top experience. We’ve seen this in books and movies: people…

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  • Creationism Isn’t Christian

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    No, I didn’t watch Bill Nye debate Ken Ham. I’m not interested. Besides, it wasn’t for me. It was for two kinds of people: crazy confused people and people who think they have to listen to crazy confused people to be a good Christian. That may sound pretty crass, but this wasn’t a mainstream debate. This…

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  • How the 2014 Super Bowl should effect the draft

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    If this Super Bowl has taught us anything, it is that the cult of the quarterback needs to end. Like John Elway and Tom Brady can attest: your team may have the best quarterback, but that doesn’t mean you’ll win. In fact, history doesn’t side with the better quarterback, but with the better team. Here’s…

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  • Blood and Light: seeing, revealing, saying

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    a Sermon for The Presentation Text: Luke 2:22-40 Embarrassment and Injustice I was in the fifth grade. I’m not sure why I was out of my classroom and standing in the hall. Maybe I was feeling sick and waiting to be picked up. The front door to Ella White Elementary was near the office. A…

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