Category Archives: Sermons

Luke 12:49-56 [Watch sermon here.] Dead. The towering pitch pines were dead.It surprised me as I ran through the pine barrensin the Myles Standish Forest in Massachusetts. I jogged slowly. Sand cushioned my feet as I moved;sand anchored the shrubby oaks and blueberries around me,which looked black. In this oasis, pitch pines rose high likeContinue reading “Truth Ablaze”

Luke 12:32-40 [Watch sermon here.] Jesus preaches,“Make for yourselves wallets that don’t wear out—a treasure in heaven that never runs out.No thief comes near there, and no moth destroys.” There is not an occasional break-in into our soul,but a serial robbery: a constant infiltration of voicesthat burglarizes our focus and besieges us with distractions. JesusContinue reading “Subtle Splendor”

Luke 10:25-37 [Watch sermon here.] The story today seems so simple.Be empathetic.Pay attention to the human being in front of you. Why is this so hard? We run late, and we walk by everyone who is suffering.We do not know someone, and then we do not care. Why is it so hard for us toContinue reading “Encountering the Human on the Way”

This week, I co-preached the sermon “Let’s Go Deeper” with the Rev. Ernesto Medina. Watch here: Let’s Go Deeper

Luke 9:51-62 [Watch sermon here.]  Follow me. Jesus beckons to the strangers on the road. Someone responds, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replies, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; I have nowhere to lay my head.” Another traveler says, “First let me go and bury my father.” JesusContinue reading “But First”

Luke 8:26-39 [Watch the sermon here.] Jesus steps out of the boat onto the shoreline.A man approaches him wildly. Homeless and naked,this man lives in the local cemetery. Filled with demons,he shrieks, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus?” It’s a violent and feral welcome to a new land. Yet Jesus has compassion,softens himself, andContinue reading “The Pursuit of Freedom”

Proverbs 8:1-10, 22-31 [watch sermon here] There’s an air of playfulness about Woman Wisdom.She relishes being in God’s presence, always.God delights in spending time with her.Woman Wisdom rejoices in the earth as mountains erupt into place,and seas splash the shorelines. She finds herself in the busiest parts of the city.She stands at the gate asContinue reading “The Voyage of Wonder”

Acts 2:1-21; watch the video here When the day of Pentecost arrived,they all met in one room. Like a movie,Pentecost is filled with fantastical activity:winds roar; flames dance;foreign words fly from people’s mouths. Yet, what wows me todayis that the group all met in one location. Another translation reads,When the day of Pentecost arrived,they were allContinue reading “Smoldering Ashes”

Acts 16:16-34; watch sermon here                                     — Dear God, Help us to be really present.To you. To each other.To your Word. Amen. There’s a freedom song that sings of Paul and Silas in prison. The freedom song is called “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize.”It was written for the Freedom Riders,black and white civil rights activistsContinue reading “As If”

Acts 9:36-43 [watch video here] Transforming love. Let’s take a survey. Who has ever been transformed by love? Raise your hand if the answer is yes. I have! How have you been transformed? Has it been like the slow drip of rainthat leaves scattered holes on a rock’s surface? Or have you experienced a sudden transformation–likeContinue reading “The Imprint of Sole”