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Love Poets
Like poets, Jesus invites his followers to observe in our world those places where God breaks through so that we might revel in that joy. Proper 12A | Matthew 13:31-33,44-52 The work of the poet is discovery. After ruthless editing of course. Discovery. It begins first with discovery in the world: observation. The poet watches…
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To Not Be Righteous
As followers of Jesus, we are called into discipleship. But that doesn’t mean being more righteous than our neighbors but merely generous. Proper 8A | Matthew 10:40-42 This short gospel reading doesn’t seem like much. But if you’ve been following along the last few weeks, then you know it is anything but simple. Not even…
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A ‘Kum Bah Ya’ Moment
In Matthew 10:24-39, we find the downside of discipleship, the hard stuff which would drive us away from it. If we didn’t know what’s at stake. Proper 7A | Matthew 10:24-39 There are certain times preachers don’t want to take on the gospel. Often because it’s hard to talk about money or sex or divorce.…
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Discipleship Reimagined
When we take the Great Commission as our marching orders, we often make the same mistakes about Jesus the first disciples made. First Sunday after Pentecost | Matthew 28:16-20 These are the last words in the gospel of Matthew. Words which are often referred to as “the Great Commission.” A name which has parallel and…
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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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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…
