• In-Between: Luke 12:41-48

    In-Between: Luke 12:41-48

    A look at the gaps in the lectionary. This week: the gap between Proper 14C and Proper 15C. I’ll be honest. The lectionary skipping over this text is a pretty solid move. It is bleak. And not just a little bit ripe for confusion. Through the twelfth chapter, Luke has been committed to keeping it…

  • When Freedom Knocks

    When Freedom Knocks

    Jesus gives us a response to the questions of our time. In the face of fear and confusion, he offers something clear: a world to transform. And you’re too afraid to answerProper 14C | Luke 12:32-40 When somebody says “Do not be afraid,” my first response is Wait, should I be? I want to know…

  • In-Between: Luke 12:22-31

    In-Between: Luke 12:22-31

    A look at the gaps in the lectionary. This week: the gap between Proper 13C and Proper 14C. Last week, the lectionary jumped from the beginning of chapter 11 into the middle of chapter 12. What we skipped over were teachings in which Jesus expands the sense of what it means to love one’s neighbor.…

  • In the Eyes

    In the Eyes

    By the time we get to Luke 12:13-21, Jesus has radically rejected our will to racism and hate, revealing the true way of life is equality and love. Standing for dignity means also standing against indignityProper 13C | Luke 12:13-21 I know you are super excited to hear a sermon about a real estate question,…

  • In-Between – Luke 11:14-12:13

    In-Between – Luke 11:14-12:13

    In this in-between, we get a whole host of teaching on what loving does and doesn’t look like.

  • Don’t Just Fact-Check Those Racist Tweets

    Don’t Just Fact-Check Those Racist Tweets

    The bigger argument doesn’t rely on facts. Fact-checking racist tweets is only so useful. But it is really, really enticing. When the president suggested four U.S. Representatives “go back” to other countries he offered the kind of red meat few can resist. Not that resisting that impulse is actually better. It is not. But many…

  • Becoming Samaritan

    Becoming Samaritan

    In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus isn’t giving us a natural reversal of roles. He’s exposing how our bias actually works. learning to love in a culture of hateProper 10C | Luke 10:25-37 Good stories like this one have many layers. We can peel back one to see what’s underneath. Then peel again.…

  • The In-Between – Luke 10:21-24

    The In-Between – Luke 10:21-24

    A look at the gaps in the lectionary. This week: the gap between Proper 9C and Proper 10C. As a preacher, the lectionary is a godsend. And like a movie studio demanding the director cut essential material to shorten a film’s running time, many of the lectionary’s jumps feel like an unfortunate necessity. But I’ve…