Sermons
Sermons preached in a context, but written for people of all sorts and conditions.
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Ending Violence
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7 min read
In the Passion, we become the witnesses, not only to the brutality put upon Jesus, but to the violence we impose upon one another. the Crucifixion destroys the justification for violence Good Friday | John 18:1-19:42 It’s often said the Passion preaches itself. Its power is self-evident. But it doesn’t quite preach like the fire…
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Where do we come in?
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6 min read
The challenge of Palm Sunday is fighting the impulse to skip ahead. But we’re invited not only into a bittersweet day but a whole week which challenges how we see the hope of Christ in our lives. We arrive at Jerusalem with Jesus expecting hope and fear Palm Sunday B | John 12:12-16 Where do…
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Who They Can’t Forgive
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7 min read
This moment in John 12:20-33 is the tipping point. Time’s up. Make your decision. And Jesus is surrounded by people who don’t understand that forgiveness is everything. Even after resurrection, we refuse to forgive what we don’t understand. Lent 5B | John 12:20-33 There’s a scene before this one. Before these Greeks come looking for…
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Praying in the Dark
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8 min read
In Nicodemus, we find a stand-in for us. He’s confused, frightened, and showing up at the wrong time. And yet he’s responding to an invitation when he least expects it to do something amazing. How our searching in the dark helps bring the light to us. Lent 4B | John 3:14-21 You’ve probably heard the…
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The Art of Love
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7 min read
In overturning the tables in the temple and reimagining Sabbath law, Jesus invites us into a new relationship to our work. Not as adherents and citizens, but as artists and co-creators. Jesus invites us to be artists collaborating in a global masterpiece Lent 3B | John 2:13-22 This church may have a lot of doors…
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Condemning Our Fear of Silence
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8 min read
In the first Passion prediction in Mark 8:31-38, Peter speaks when he should be listening, revealing how important it is to listen — because we’re likely to get the mission of Jesus wrong. We are so bothered by silence, we struggle to hear Jesus Lent 2B | Mark 8:31-38 This story of Jesus is one…