Sermon Archives

Advent
December 1, 2019

Are we there yet?

Are we there yet?

I can’t get enough of apocalyptic Christianity. I think this may be about the fact that the Bible says that the day and the hour of the end of days is unknown, and yet so many people are so anxious about it they predict it. And while that sort of “end-times” prophecy may seem to […]

December 30, 2018

Augustus vs. Jesus

As followers of Jesus, there is one great sociological fact that we must deal with. It’s this: we live in the world’s richest, most powerful country. It doesn’t matter whether we like it or not. It doesn’t matter whether we’re glad about it or sad about it. It’s a fact of life. The United States […]

December 23, 2018

Tell God I Say Yes

Billy was a kid in the neighborhood who had a rough edge, a rowdy kid who pushed other people’s buttons. He hung out with my younger brothers and was in and out of our home. One day when Billy was 10 years old, my Mom got a call from Billy’s mom, a single parent with […]

December 9, 2018

Speechless Wonder

MAKE READY FOR THE CHRIST, WHOSE SMILE, LIKE LIGHTENING, SETS FORTH THE SONG OF EVERLASTING GLORY THAT NOW SLEEPS IN YOUR PAPER FLESH…LIKE DYNAMITE! This is Advent and these words from Thomas Merton shape our calling: to Make ready for the Christ…to prepare for the birthing God has in store within each of us & […]

December 2, 2018

A Black Rook in Rainy Weather

I don’t particularly like thinking about the end times. For this year in the liturgical season, Advent 1 is apocalyptic. I understand, and yet, I’d rather not.  I grew up in a tradition that spoke of the end times most Sundays. I remember a particularly rousing sermon being given by our pastor telling us that […]

December 10, 2017

Preparing the Way for Blessedness

What does it mean to be blessed? I feel as if we live in a world where we have a tendency to say things without really thinking about what they mean, and this word is no exception. On Instagram you can find pictures of manicures and pedicures, or family, or even one’s dinner with the […]

December 3, 2017

Enthusiastic Collaborators

What do you think a holy person looks like? When you get to know someone, what clues suggest to you that this person may be holy? Do you know holiness when you see it? Consider Tom. Almost every Sunday, Tom came to church all alone and sat in the same chair. He was a quiet […]

December 18, 2016

Seeds of Hope

A few months ago during sharing time, I spoke about the peace accords in Colombia and how they were drawing to a close. After a war of more than 50 years, a war responsible for displacing 6.4 million people (second only to Syria), the FARC guerrilla group and the government planned to cease hostilities and […]

December 4, 2016

“What kind of leaders do you want?”

“Make America great again.”  We have heard this phrase over and over again for the last year.  Who wouldn’t like to see America be great?  But what are we hoping for when we want “greatness”?  Power?  Wealth?  Security?  Privilege?   And what would we hope for if we said “Make Goshen great again”?  Or if we […]

November 27, 2016

Living in the Present Moment

This year in July, Tim LaHaye died. He was co-author of the Left Behind series, a set of 12 fictional books on the end times. The Left Behind books tell the story of how all the true believers in Christ are instantly raptured away into heaven, leaving the world in chaos. In this chaos, a […]

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