Tag: Advent
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The Crisis Of Advent
My post from a few days ago, Advent Truth, was the first in almost six months. During that time some of you may have wondered, “What happened to Mike?” A few of you emailed or left a comment asking that question. It’s a good question and one I’ve been asking myself. So, what happened? In Read more
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Blessed Are You Too – An Advent Sermon On Luke 1:39-45
“In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.” I don’t know why Mary set out “with haste” to go to Elizabeth. I don’t know what she wanted or needed from Elizabeth. Today’s gospel (Luke 1:39-45) Read more
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How Are You? – An Advent Sermon On Zephaniah 3:14-20
What comes to mind when you think of repentance? What does it look like and mean in your life today? What is it asking of you? My guess is that for most of us, especially during Advent, our image and understanding of repentance is John the Baptist calling us to shape up or ship out, Read more
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A Word In The Wilderness Of Life – An Advent Sermon On Luke 3:1-6
When was the last time you were in the wilderness of life? Maybe you are there today. We all come to wilderness times in our life. Sometimes the choices we make bring us to the wilderness. Sometimes the actions or words of others send us there. And sometimes it’s circumstances beyond our control that take Read more
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Life In The Gap – An Advent Sermon On Jeremiah 33:14-16 And Luke 21:25-36
Recently, someone said to me, “I’m ready to move on. I don’t like being in this in between place.” I know what he means and I’ll bet you do too. I sometimes think about it as life in the gap. It’s the gap between what was or is and what will be. It’s the gap Read more
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Offering Without Expectation – An Advent Sermon On Luke 1:26-38
What are your plans for Christmas? That’s been a common question the last couple of weeks. It’s a question I’ve asked and been asked. Some are traveling, others are staying home. Some will have a big gathering of family and friends, others will have a more quiet low key Christmas. Food and gifts are parts Read more
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Make A Beginning Worthy Of Your Life – An Advent Sermon On Mark 1:1-8
I’m jealous of John the Baptizer. In today’s gospel (Mark 1:1-8) he experiences what every preacher dreams of. He has been “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” He’s been pushing the people to rethink, reevaluate, reconsider their lives. And darned if they Read more
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The Beginning Is Near – An Advent Sermon On Mark 13:24-37
After the start of the Israel-Hamas war I heard comments about the end of the world. A couple of people asked me if I thought the end was near. I heard the same kind of comments and questions after the Robb School shooting. I also heard them following the January 6 insurrection. And just a Read more
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Emmanuel And The Messiness of Life – A Sermon On Matthew 1:18-25
What do you make of today’s gospel? (Matthew 1:18-25) It’s a beautiful story but does it make sense to you? I doesn’t to me. I have some doubts about it. It doesn’t sound or feel real to me. Does it to you? I struggle with today’s gospel and wonder if that’s really how it happened. Read more
Interrupting the Silence 