In the Case of Job
Mark Schloneger
Thank you, your honor. May it please the court, I’ve prepared an opening statement in this civil action brought by Job, resident of 2924 Maple Street, the Land of Uz, zip 56655, against the defendant, God, also known as The LORD, Yahweh, the Most High, the Holy One of Israel, and many other names.
Living Faith
Mark Schloneger
To begin my sermon, I’m going to need four volunteers. Now, I have two requirements for these volunteers: the first is, you need to be able to catch a middle-aged body; specifically, my body; and the second is, you need to be trustworthy. My physical safety depends on you meeting both of these requirements. That’s […]
Wonder Bread
Mark Schloneger
I want you to imagine that all of us who have gathered here this morning represent the entire world’s population. Now, I need fourteen people to stand up. If our attendance today is similar to previous Sundays, the people standing up represent the people who went to bed hungry last night. According to the World […]
God in Space
Mark Schloneger
Last week, Richard spoke powerfully about the need for lament. A lament is a prayer that cries out to God in the midst of pain, grief, any circumstance that seems out of control. Lament is our response when we find ourselves in a space, a place where the right response can only be a desperate […]
The Following Christ
Mark Schloneger
It has been almost twenty years since I’ve seen a little girl named Dianora. I think about her, though. In my mind, Dianora will always be a baby. Her grandmother, Alicia, cradled her in her arms when she knocked on the door of our house when we lived in Mozambique. She was looking for my […]
The Power of One
Mark Schloneger
Only a boy named David, only a little sling, only a boy named David, but he could pray and sing. Only a boy named David, only a rippling brook, only a boy named David, but five little stones he took. And one little stone went in the sling, and the sling went round and round. […]
Freely Bound
Mark Schloneger
March 8, 2020. That was the last Sunday that we had an in-person worship service. Of course, that was the only option that we had way back then. It seems so long ago, doesn’t it? My pre-pandemic memories are all in black and white. March 8, 2020 was the second Sunday of Lent. Like today, […]
Life-Laying Love
Mark Schloneger
The third drawer in my dresser is full of tee-shirts. Top drawer underwear, second drawer socks, third drawer, tee-shirts, with a couple other drawers beneath those. I implemented this organizational system many years ago, and I think that’s why I’m so efficient. Anyway, my tee-shirts advertise to the world things about me: where I’ve been, […]
Hearts, minds, and possession
Mark Schloneger
This dirt is mine. Well, it’s my wife Sarah’s too, and yes, it’s mostly the bank’s. But let’s not get distracted by the details. Under the law, this dirt is mine because I paid for the exclusive right to call it mine, and what that means is that no one else can call it theirs. […]
Chosen
Mark Schloneger
When it comes to our pets, let’s be honest: we chose them — they didn’t choose us. No, we chose them, and when we did so, we didn’t know whether they’d be affectionate or hostile, loyal or rebellious, intelligent or . . . thick-headed. We didn’t know whether they’d respect our property or be a […]
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