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  • Reclaiming The Truth Within Us – A Sermon On John 13:1-17, 31-35 For Maundy Thursday

    Reclaiming The Truth Within Us – A Sermon On John 13:1-17, 31-35 For Maundy Thursday

    This night always brings up a lot of stuff for me. I think it does for a lot of people. Maybe that’s one of the reasons it’s not well attended and why most do not participate in washing feet. That’s not a criticism, just a recognition that this night brings up a lot of stuff.…

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  • Our Self-Betrayals – A Sermon On John 13:21-32 For Wednesday In Holy Week

    Our Self-Betrayals – A Sermon On John 13:21-32 For Wednesday In Holy Week

    Over the years I’ve developed a pretty big soft spot for Judas. When I look at Judas I see myself. It wasn’t always like that though. For a long time Judas was simply the betrayer of Jesus. And that’s all he was, all he’d ever been, and all he would ever be. That’s probably what…

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  • Doing The Truth – A Sermon On John 12:20-36 For Tuesday In Holy Week

    Doing The Truth – A Sermon On John 12:20-36 For Tuesday In Holy Week

    I said it to you on Palm Sunday, I said it again yesterday, and I’ll say it today — All through Holy Week we are meeting and examining truths and realities about ourselves, our lives, and our world that feel too big, too dangerous, or too painful to handle.  Those truths, however, are more than…

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  • Put Down Your Palms, Pick Up The Truth – A Palm Sunday Sermon On Mark 11:1-11

    Put Down Your Palms, Pick Up The Truth – A Palm Sunday Sermon On Mark 11:1-11

    I wish Palm Sunday was as easy as the people in our first gospel reading (Mark 11:1-11) make it look and sound. I wish we could walk in the Jesus parade, wave palms, sing hosannas, offer blessings, and then just go to lunch.  That’s how Palm Sunday used to be for me. For most of…

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  • What If The Gospel Is Like A Backwards Bicycle?- A Sermon On Mark 8:31-38

    What If The Gospel Is Like A Backwards Bicycle?- A Sermon On Mark 8:31-38

    Imagine trying to ride a bike but the steering has been reversed and is completely opposite to everything you’ve been taught about and experienced riding a bike. When you turn the handlebars to the left the wheel turns to the right. When you turn the handlebars to the right the wheel turns to the left.…

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  • No Temptation, No Salvation – A Sermon On Mark 1:9-15

    No Temptation, No Salvation – A Sermon On Mark 1:9-15

    Over the last several years I’ve found myself, more often than not, rethinking and working to unlearn much of what I’ve been told and come to believe and understand about God and what it means to be in relationship with the Divine. I’ve encouraged you to do the same. It’s part of my teaching and…

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  • No Dust, No Life – An Ash Wednesday Sermon On Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

    No Dust, No Life – An Ash Wednesday Sermon On Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

    One of the things I know about myself is that I am not a singer. You know it too. Some of you have told me I’m not. But did you know that I can play the trumpet and I’m pretty good at it?  Here’s what I mean by that. I remember a session in which…

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  • The Lenten Treasure Hunt

    The Lenten Treasure Hunt

    For many in the Church Lent begins today with Ash Wednesday. It’s forty days long, reflecting the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness. It’s a time to prepare for the new life that will be revealed on Easter Sunday. Lent is usually characterized by fasting, self-denial, and repentance. Even if Lent is not a…

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  • Seeing And Living Transfigured Lives – A Sermon On Mark 9:2-9

    Seeing And Living Transfigured Lives – A Sermon On Mark 9:2-9

    Today’s gospel (Mark 9:2-9), the story of the transfiguration, is one of those big stories from scripture. It’s a mountaintop experience of dazzling white clothes, Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus, and a cloud from which God speaks.  It’s such a big story that it can easily feel a bit too fantastical, too unreal, and…

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