For those who celebrate the gift of Jesus, the birth of the Christ Child issues a challenge to become wholly new people who lead very different kinds of lives. If you kneel with the shepherds and gift like the Magi come December, but then skedaddle out of Bethlehem, flip over the calendar to January, andContinue reading “Infected with Jesus”
Tag Archives: sermon
Connecting the Dots
It was a rookie mistake, and I made it. I’d been serving here just a couple years, and a few weeks out from Christmas, I sat down to assemble the elements for the Christmas Eve service. To refresh my memory, I dug out the bulletins from previous Christmas Eves and noted that we always endedContinue reading “Connecting the Dots”
Mercy Within Mercy
Not long ago, a nationwide study surveyed people’s attitudes about forgiveness. The study found 75 percent of Americans feeling “very confident” that God has forgiven them of their sins and trespasses. But that rosy outlook turned muddy for interpersonal relationships. Only about half of the people surveyed felt certain that they’d forgiven others. While theContinue reading “Mercy Within Mercy”
Becoming an Unlikely Ally
No other Old Testament character is as universally revered and respected as Moses. Four of the world’s great religions – Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Bahai – all proclaim Moses a vital prophet of God. And with good reason! A one-time prince of Egypt who frees his people from Pharaoh’s bondage of slavery and leads themContinue reading “Becoming an Unlikely Ally”
Dear Diary
Suffice it to say that preachers over the years have not been kind to the woman who takes centerstage in this morning’s lesson. All we know from the Gospel of John is that she’s had five husbands, and in the setting of this story, the man with whom she’s now living is not her husband.Continue reading “Dear Diary”
Broken Dreams
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down;Yeah, we wept, when we remembered Zion.There the wicked carried us away in captivity,Required from us a song.Now how shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?– Boney M, Rivers of Babylon Indeed, how do we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land? TheContinue reading “Broken Dreams”