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Along the Road: The Good Samaritan, Trayvon Martin, and what it means to be a neighbor
a homily for Proper 10C Text: Luke 10:25-37 Unwrapping the Layers We call this the Parable of the Good Samaritan. A traveler is beaten, left for dead, passed by on the road to Jerusalem, and finally helped by this stranger. It is a story so familiar, so recognizable, that any number of us could tell…
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Don’t Learn the Wrong Lesson From Capt. Kirk
[NOTE: this post is spoiler-free! And long overdue, since I saw it in May…] Something troubled me about the new Star Trek. I loved the movie. I was glad that it surpassed my expectations and that it challenged me. What troubled me is that I’m convinced that people will mistake James T. Kirk for a…
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You Are the Servant Leader
“You’re the pastor” This is the gentle reminder many clergy receive: as if we’ve forgotten. It usually happens when we’ve invited our people into sharing leadership of a ministry. We say “you can do this” and they say “but you’re the pastor”. And for those of us that wear the dog collar, we get reminded…
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Vacation
I’ll be out of town sporatically over the next few weeks, including a trip up north to the family cottage north of Alpena. I’m pretty sure there isn’t 4G service, and WiFi access is spotty, so I won’t have much time to check in. If you haven’t already subscribed to the blog, this would be…
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Confused by Jesus
a homily for Proper 8C Text: Luke 9:51-62 Confused by Jesus Everybody is confused. James and John are confused. These three seekers are confused. We are definitely confused. We are confused by Jesus. There is no other explanation for our behavior. This part of the gospel we call Luke reveals a moment of true confusion.…
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Expectations: of Leaders in Church
I marvel at how low the expectations are for leaders in The Episcopal Church in their commitment to a life of faith. I also marvel at how many hoops we ask of those moved by their faith. To stand for vestry (our congregational boards), you have to show up for church a few times a…
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A Dream for Church
I’ve spent much of my life searching for more from church. More from the institution. More from myself. I want church to be important and to mean something and it doesn’t always feel like it does. When I first heard of Church of the Apostles years ago, I was certain from that moment that if…
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Saved from our own demons
a homily for Proper 7C Text: Luke 8:26-39 Listen to the homily here and read along below The Man I feel bad for this guy. We don’t know his real name. He is cast out from the city, living naked, possessed by many demons, despised and reviled. If we are being honest, we use him…
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