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“Blessed”
Each of the blessings in the Beatitudes is God’s promise to be with us in times of challenge – when we are mourning, when we are struggling for justice, when we are in need of mercy. At the same time, each Beatitude is a challenge for us to be that grace, that blessing of God for others, especially at times of need.
Previous Sermons
Utter Confidence: A Reflection on Psalm 27
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Whom shall I fear? Of whom shall I be afraid? O God, have you read the news this morning? Do you have any idea what the world is like in 2023?...
“On the Move” Sermon for MLK Weekend
Early in 2019, Jorge knew he had to get out of Guatemala. The land was turning against him. For five years, it almost never rained. Finally it did and Jorge rushed his last seeds into the ground. The corn sprouted into healthy green stalks, and there was hope — until,...
“To Pay Homage”
The spiritual practice of paying homage, of prostration, is found across the religious traditions of the world. In Hinduism a student will pay homage and prostrate themselves after receiving a teacher’s wisdom. In Buddhism, prostration is used in various ways, such as the Tibetan tantric practice of 100,000 prostrations as a means of overcoming pride. In some Christian denominations, the ritual of ordination to ministry includes prostration. In Islam, prostration is an essential part of the five times a day prayer. To prostrate oneself is a spiritual gesture of submission; it represents a pledge of pure generosity, of giving one’s whole life to God.
New Year’s Day Letter to God
For the last fifteen years, my husband and I have set aside time each January to review the previous twelve months and anticipate the future year in the form of writing a Letter to God. In many ways, this practice is like an annual spiritual check-up. In what follows,...
Christmas Eve Sermon – “Children of God”
A few days ago, my husband, David, and I placed ornaments on our Christmas tree. This is a process that can’t be rushed - because most every ornament any of us keep through the years, has a story, a heart story. As we were carefully placing these treasures, David...
“To Live in Joy”
John must have felt crushed. He was all in. He gave everything he had - all of himself - to God. He showed people how to break free from the sins that held them back. He spoke truth to power. He knew who Jesus was and helped others to understand. He gave people -...
“To Live in Peace”
On this second Sunday of Advent, our readings present us with what seems like an unachievable vision and a pointed command. The prophet Isaiah imagines a world where “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together,” all known enemies at peace and rest with each other.
“To Live From Hope” (Inspired by Sandy Hook Promise)
Could it be that one reason our country has not come close to solving this problem isn’t only because of people who have their own political and economic interests served by it continuing, but because the rest keep going back to sleep? The rest of us have been unwilling to face our own discomfort and do something more?
At The Table
At the table today, what you will experience and what it will mean to you won’t be the same as it was before and it won’t be the same as anyone else in the room. What happens at the table today, gathered in beloved community, will be between you and God.
A Crucial Conversation
The Sadducees were mad. Irate. Ashamed, embarrassed, humiliated, out for revenge. They hated Jesus. Why? Shortly after arriving in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the main temple and confronted the Sadducees, who were making money off of religious rituals expected of...
A Master Class in Mercy
Jesus has done it again: offered a lesson so confounding that it makes little to no sense to our modern ears. Blessed are the poor? The hungry? The weeping? The hated? Doesn’t sound so blessed to me. Woe to the rich? The full? The joyous? The respected? Sounds...
A Prayer From The Heart
The parable of the Pharisee and tax collector challenges our conventional wisdom about how our relationship with God actually works. How is it that the person who seems to be doing everything right, the Pharisee, is actually not close with God; and the person who seems to be doing everything wrong, is? And walks home right with God?