Preaching
Sermons, homilies, meditations, and reflections on the art of preaching.
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For the last two and a half chapters in the gospel we call Luke, Jesus has been building up this teaching on faithfulness and action. It began with the crowd when he told them three parables about things that were lost and found. Each was lost, redeemed, and forgiven. Powerful stories that we often take…
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Not This Parable!
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1 min read
In this parable about a manager and his master (Luke 16:1-13), we have one of the most resented parables in gospels. The reason for this is clear. It is a shockingly obnoxious story about deception that seems to say things about GOD we don’t like. Or worse, it leads good people to make ridiculous…
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They Came Closer
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3 min read
I love and hate the good parables. The really good ones. The ones that have so many ways in. The ones that give you so many things to say. Like the one from Sunday. I still dwell on them for days afterward. I have trouble moving on. Maybe I haven’t been preaching long enough to…
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Peter Jumps Into the Water
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4 min read
This week’s gospel from John 21 deals with nudity, miraculous fishing, and redefining love. It is a jam-packed resurrection appearance that only could be delivered by that incredible gospel we call John. One part sticks out for me this week. And it obviously deals with Peter. So the disciples are fishing. They are hanging out.…
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What I Might Have Preached
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2 min read
Since I was on vacation, I didn’t preach this morning. The gospel reading was John 20:19-31, known to many as the Doubting Thomas passage. There are a ton of ways to preach this one, particularly if you aren’t wedded to the idea that Thomas is an unbelieving jackass. Here are a few thoughts that struck…
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Holy City (Eating Scripture)
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2 min read
Last week, we had the temptation in the desert, the quintessential Lenten text. This time, we get Angry Jesus. I have a soft spot for Angry Jesus. What Jesus is angry about is the stuff we already know, but rarely give attention to. It falls into two parts: the hypocrisy of leaders and their support…