Sermons
Sermons preached in a context, but written for people of all sorts and conditions.
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It’s not really about divorce
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8 min read
When Jesus is asked about divorce in Mark 10:2-16, we act like he’s given us an answer. What he’s given us is a whole new question. Again Jesus pushes us to see the forest, not the trees. Proper 22B | Mark 10:2-16 Let me say at the top that Jesus doesn’t condemn divorce. Let’s first…
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Out of Line
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9 min read
In Mark 9, we get a vision of the flipped script, the powerless raised up and the powerful brought low. And still, we struggle to see ourselves in it. Jesus warns that being a stumbling block deprives us all Proper 21B | Mark 9:38-50 Is the second time ever the charm? At this point in…
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Trading Spaces
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8 min read
What Jesus’s interaction with the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7:24-37 tells us about what God is really up to with Jesus the Christ. How the gospel of Mark flips the Christ Project on Jesus. Proper 18B | Mark 7:24-37 It was only a chapter ago in the gospel we call Mark when Jesus was trying…
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What God Intends
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9 min read
In Mark 7, Jesus responds to a challenge over rule-breaking by exposing their hypocrisy. Is this just a takedown, or is he saying something else? The challenge of following Jesus isn’t doing or believing. It’s both. Proper 17B | Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 We have to go back nearly two months. Back in June, we…
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Who can listen to it?
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9 min read
At the end of the Bread of Life discourse in John 6, his disciples abandon him. Not because the road is hard, but because Jesus told them the truth. We want to be more effective. Jesus would rather be honest. Proper 16B | John 6:56-69 You’ve heard of reverse psychology. It’s a simple idea that…
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Does Jesus Jump the Shark?
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9 min read
Sometimes the problem isn’t whether to read the Bible literally or metaphorically. It’s the asking us to pick which distorts the point. Jesus gets gross with the bread of life. Proper 15B | John 6:51-58 To be honest, I don’t actually remember the episode. It was so long ago, but I’m sure I’ve seen it.…