Good Grief
Joanne Gallardo
I took a brief break from the Lectionary for this week and decided instead to focus on the story of Lazarus. I hesitated doing so, wondering if I was the only one particularly attached to grief lately. However, 2 things happened a few weeks ago as well as this past week. Deb Detweiler was mentioned […]
Family Ties that Bind
Joanne Gallardo
Over Memorial Day weekend I spent some time with Mennonite friends at a cabin on Lake Michigan. After the full disclosure about the mice problem and apologizing for no WiFi, I was reminded that “we are all family here.” And so the weekend progressed. Our lives were shared, jokes were made, and we participated in […]
Enemies, Shepherds, and Divine Promises
Joanne Gallardo
One of the first passages from the Bible that children learn is the 23rd Psalm. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. This Psalm stays with us through adulthood. For many, this is a passage chosen for memorial services. But why this Psalm? What makes it so important to us that we take […]
Putting Faith in Doubt
Joanne Gallardo
It is really difficult to give a sermon on belief and unbelief after this week. It’s actually been really difficult to do anything this week. Deb Detweiler was my academic advisor, my professor, my voice teacher, my choir director, and my friend, not to mention a fellow member of my congregation. My life was better […]
A Whole and Holy Mind
Joanne Gallardo
I almost called this sermon “yet another mental health sermon” because I feel that either I preach on this subject often or I hear others doing so. And these sermons vary. I’ve heard sermons that would have people “delivered” from the “demon” of mental illness, I’ve heard sermons that promote the power of positive thinking. […]
Becoming a Safer Church
Joanne Gallardo
Ideally, many of us would like to think church is one of the safest places one can be. We all know each other, consider one another decent people, and nothing untoward may have happened to us recently, or maybe even ever in a church setting. We’re like a family. We’ve trusted each other with some […]
…and the Glory of the Lord
Joanne Gallardo
We have survived the whole of Advent, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and even New Year’s Day. We sat in the darkness, waiting for the hope in the birth of a baby in a manger, a baby that would give light to nations. We spent time with our families, our friends, our coworkers, and even strangers. So […]
A Black Rook in Rainy Weather
Joanne Gallardo
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 […]
The Next Great Adventure
Joanne Gallardo
(Sermon includes Apocryphal text, Wisdom 3:1-9) Last year I preached an All Soul’s day sermon after the actual All Souls day, so I was inclined to do the same this year. Around this time of year, not just because of the liturgical season, people (myself included) start to think about family and loved ones. We […]
An Inconvenient Woman
Joanne Gallardo
Women are terribly inconvenient. Whether you’re looking at an ancient text like the Bible, looking at more recent history, or trying to appoint a Supreme Court nominee, women seem to get in the way. Women bust up our image of heroes when they come forth with truth about their past actions. Women adjust our notions […]
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