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With the Communion of Saints
In the ascension, Jesus leaves the followers with the vision, mercy, and love to do the work they were already doing, always called to do. Easter 7A Acts 1:6-14, John 17:1-11 The book of Acts begins with an end. It begins at the end of Jesus’s earthly ministry and his return to God. Much like…
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When the Power Goes Out
The ascension is one of the most challenging stories for modern Christians to believe. And yet, it might be among the most important to hear.
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Full of Love
My parents were going out on a date and I was old enough to be left home without a babysitter. Just not old enough to make good decisions. I was asking them about going to a friend’s house (he’s moving the next day! I pleaded. I won’t see him again!) They weren’t going to be home anyway,…
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Hearts broken open
Why do they kill Stephen? Our lectionary jumps in at the very end of a two chapter story. A story about Stephen, our patron saint. After all the explanation of who he is, what he says, and why it makes the people angry enough to kill him, then they jump in. So let’s back up…
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Sharing Love
You’ve probably heard the story before. It’s told several ways, but often goes something like this. There was a man, living near the Mississippi River. He was a faithful man. He served on the church board and the evangelism team and was there every Sunday. One particular Sunday, the conversation at coffee hour was about…
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The Invisible Revolution
The road to Emmaus reveals the dream of God This is among the most famous walks in history. Two followers of Jesus meet a stranger on the road and walk with him, only to find out the stranger is Jesus. It’s a great metaphor for the confusion and misunderstanding of the faithful. For the ones who came…
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Sight and Belief
When we look at the same picture, do our brains assess the contents of the picture differently? The short answer is yes. But how interesting is the short answer? Especially when the science had essentially been saying no. Easter 2A | John 20:19-31 Dr. Richard Nisbett, a psychologist from the University of Michigan has for…
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Inspired and Urgent
For some, the idea of an Easter morning footrace is the farthest thing from your mind. Lace up the running shoes and hit the pavement. And some no doubt felt themselves racing to arrive here or some other church this morning. Particularly if the kids are a bit slow-footed. But this morning’s story isn’t about…