Stars, Signs and Salvation
Joanne Gallardo
We and the church have both, collectively, made it another year. While technically the new decade starts in 2021 people are talking about this year, 2020, as a brand-new page in our history. One of the many big things about 2020 is that it’s an election year, a big one. In a few months, and […]
Are we there yet?
Joanne Gallardo
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 […]
#blessed
Joanne Gallardo
Blessed. Or bless-ed. We use this word a whole lot. We throw it around as easily and as quickly as we do “awesome” or “fantastic.” If you follow #blessed on Instagram, you’ll find 117 million posts! If you follow #blessed with the emoji of two hands giving a high five which 9 out of 10 […]
From Scarcity to Abundance
Joanne Gallardo
If I mention “The Fyre Festival,” how many of you know what I’m talking about? The Fyre festival was supposed to be the best music festival on the planet. For thousands of dollars, you could hop on a private jet to Pablo Escobar’s island, rent out a fancy villa, listen to hot musical groups while […]
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 […]
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