Tag: Death
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What Is Your Deathbed Prayer? – A Sermon On John 17:20-26
Most of you won’t be surprised when I tell you that I’m going to begin with a couple of questions. You might, however, be surprised or even startled by the questions. Don’t try to immediately answer them. I’ll give you a moment to sit with them. Just pay attention and see what they bring up Read more
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Let Me Get The Door For You – An Easter Sermon On Luke 24:1-12
I’m going to ask you what I think is a very simple question with an obvious answer. But you might surprise me, you have before. So we’ll find out together. You ready? What do you do when someone opens the door for you? Yes, you say thank you and walk through it. Well done. You Read more
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Courage – A Holy Saturday Sermon On John 19:38-42
Today the shadow of Good Friday is long and dark. Yesterday’s nightmare did not end with this morning’s sunrise. If anything, today, Holy Saturday, only confirms what has been lost. It really did happen. The messenger of God’s love, peace, and nonviolence; the one who was anointed to bring good news to the poor, release Read more
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Loving Each Other Into The Future – A Sermon On John 12:1-8
By now many of you have heard that Tom died Wednesday afternoon. He was one of the great men in this parish and town. His wife and children were with him the last few days as he was crossing over. Grandchildren and other family members spoke to him by phone or video call. I got Read more
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And What About You, O God? – My Lament On The First Anniversary Of The Uvalde Shooting
Shortly after Easter I attended a retreat that focused on creativity and spirituality. In one of the workshops we were invited to write our own psalm. I knew that I would write about the mass shooting that occurred in Uvalde May 24, 2022, and the upcoming first anniversary of that tragedy. I was surprised by Read more
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We Shall Overcome – A Sermon On Matthew 27:57-66 For Holy Saturday
“Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.” (Matthew 27:57-66) I know what that’s like and I’ll bet you do too. We’ve all had times in our life when we were “sitting opposite the tomb.” It’s a good description for this day we call Holy Saturday. Holy Saturday is the day Read more
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Enlarging Life In Uvalde – A Sermon On Luke 8:26-39
It’s not too difficult to make some connections between the man in today’s gospel (Luke 8:26-29) and ourselves and what has happened in Uvalde. Though his circumstances may be different from ours, we’re not that different from him. The man used to live in a house in the city, now he lives outside the city Read more
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Uvalde Weeps – A Sermon On Jeremiah 31:15-17
Have you seen the front page of today’s newspaper? It’s the first issue since the shooting. When I saw the front page this morning I said to myself, “That’s what I feel like.” Look at it. There’s a date, May 24, 2022, and empty darkness. Nothing else. There are no consoling words, no explanations, no Read more
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Nobody Wants To Come To Holy Saturday – A Sermon On Matthew 27:57-66
Nobody wants to come to Holy Saturday. Look around. Very few show up on this day, and most probably do not even know there is a liturgy for this day. I don’t blame them, I understand. Not much happens today. The liturgy is short, maybe twenty minutes. The church is empty and bare. There are Read more
Interrupting the Silence 