Cross Purposes
Richard A. Kauffman
Where were you on the morning of 9/11—that is, if you were born and are old enough to remember? I was pastoring the Toledo Mennonite Church at the time. That morning I was in a pastors’ meeting at a restaurant on the edge of Pettisville, OH. One of the owners interrupted our meeting to tell […]
Viva la Revolución
Mark Schloneger
Isaiah: I see you. I hear you. I am Isaiah, the prophet, and these are my words: I see a king who will reign in righteousness I see rulers who will rule with justice. Each will be like a shelter from the wind, like a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the […]
Did Job Get a Passing Grade?
Richard A. Kauffman
“Have you considered my servant Job?” That’s a question God asks twice in the book of Job. Yes, for the last 3 Sundays, and yet again this morning we are considering God’s servant, Job. I remind you what this Job story is about. Job is put to the test: Satan—not the devil but one of […]
The Why’s God
Mark Schloneger
You know, before Monday, running had never been an activity that provoked deep emotions in me. Yet, on Monday, running the Boston Marathon, I found myself fighting back tears and failing. It was at mile 17. That was the mile where my family was watching. I stopped to hug them, and I was so happy […]
Job’s Bitter Complaint
Richard A. Kauffman
Mark did a terrific job last week launching our 4-Sunday series on Job. He used his law background to good advantage. I wouldn’t want to oppose Mark in a court of law! Job asks the really big questions of life: Who is God? Where is God? Who are we as humans? Why is there suffering […]
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.
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 […]
Empathy, Vulnerability, and Immanuel
Joanne Gallardo
Back when I worked as a case manager, Brene Brown came into my consciousness with her work on empathy. Empathy was talked about so much in our social work circles, in fact, that we often made jokes about it. Empathy is a learned skill, we were told. Empathy is learning another’s world view. As Brene […]
The Spirituality of the Blues
Mark Schloneger
(Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out, Bessie Smith)[1] Nobody knows you when you’re down and out. That song is by Bessie Smith, nicknamed The Empress of the Blues, one of the most popular blues singers of the 1920’s and 30’s. I listened to the blues as I prepared this message. That’s because I […]
A Noble and Generous Spirit
Dan Schrock
What is the nastiest thing that ever happened to you? What events in your life caused you the most suffering, the most pain, the most misery? What grand injustice came to you, stirring up enormous frustration and intense anger inside you?
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