Born in a grave…

The gospel text for the day was Mark 16:1-20 or the ending of the gospel. The non-scripture reading that was paired with it just bowled me over to the point that you wonder if it was just another “preacher story” – truthfully I would hope that it was a pious fiction, but sorrowfully knowing . . . → Read More: Born in a grave…

Sermon – Mark 9:38-50 – Low Walls, High Standards

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People have long looked at the second grouping of these verses (Mark 9:42-50) as simply an individual warning. That reading has always caused me trouble as I either needed to treat it as completely spiritual which I don’t like, or I needed to go lopp off a hand or pluck out an eye, . . . → Read More: Sermon – Mark 9:38-50 – Low Walls, High Standards

Numbers, members and disciples

William Willimon is a great preacher. And somewhere along the way he decided to give up a cushy job as the Dean of the Chapel at Duke and become the presiding bishop of North Alabama Conference in the UMC. That is roughly like giving up a job that has no accountability where people . . . → Read More: Numbers, members and disciples

Pecking Orders – Mark 9:30-37

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It has been claimed in the past that I have a problem with authority. There are probably a couple layers of truth to that. First, as a sinful human I do have a problem with authority. My sinful nature wants to be God. But of course that is never what . . . → Read More: Pecking Orders – Mark 9:30-37

Theology of the Cross in the Oddest Places?

The guy puts up seemingly 30 posts a day on a huge variety of topics. There are all kinds of reasons for tuning him out or just not bothering. And then Andrew Sullivan posts something like this…

I have never found the theodicy argument against faith convincing. My own faith teaches me that suffering . . . → Read More: Theology of the Cross in the Oddest Places?

What we remember – What God remembers

Text: Mark 14:1-11

Jesus will issue the disciples commands like watch! or like love one another. He will also tell us to forget things – like God forgetting our sins. There are only two things that Jesus says remember. We hear the one every communion Sunday – Do this (bread and wine, body . . . → Read More: What we remember – What God remembers

The turn to fall, the fig and the command to Watch!

A quick note – I’ve been a slacker about writing most of this summer. It has been a summer full – full of joys and of sorrows. I intend to get back to a 3 – 4 day a week cycle God willing.

Text: Mark 13:28-37

Maybe it is a psychological thing, my good daughter . . . → Read More: The turn to fall, the fig and the command to Watch!

Sermon – Get connected, return to prayer -Mark 9:14-29

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The arresting line in the gospel text (Mark 9:14-29) is of course – ‘I Believe, Help my unbelief!” But, the point of the text by its own words are prayer – “this kind only comes out with prayer.” What comes out? A demon of muteness and deafness. If faith comes . . . → Read More: Sermon – Get connected, return to prayer -Mark 9:14-29

Turbulent Summer – Draft of a teaching response to the ELCA social statement on Sexuality

This is the internet so we can post drafts of things that we can alter later, right? Here is a draft which I’ve sent out for some review on a teaching response to the actions by the ELCA and the EC-USA this summer. I say teaching response because while I think many people . . . → Read More: Turbulent Summer – Draft of a teaching response to the ELCA social statement on Sexuality

Sermon – Sept 6, 2008 – “In my flesh, I will see God”

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I’ve heard it from at least two preachers who I really admire for their wisdom and their craft that “all good sermons are first preached at the preacher.” The main point is that if the preacher himself doesn’t need it or resonate with the message he is delivering it probably can’t be a . . . → Read More: Sermon – Sept 6, 2008 – “In my flesh, I will see God”