A denominational publishing house offered me a little assignment recently: to read a book proposal they’d received for a book on preaching, and to evaluate it based on whether I think it would be helpful for people who are in the early years of their ministry.
I’m hoping to finish up my report in the next […]

My guess is last night’s debate will put this plagiarism kerfuffle to rest, so this may be a day late and a dollar short—though this video is still floating around the internet tubes. (And just listen to the spooky music! Hold me, I’m a-skeered of the black man!)
But there’s an angle on this that I […]

A sermon for the beginning of the Sabbath Experiment.
Exodus 31
12 The Lord said to Moses: 13You yourself are to speak to the Israelites: ‘You shall keep my sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, given in order that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. 14You shall […]

A sermon adapted from article #1 from Denominational Magazine:

Psalm 90
1Lord, you have been our dwelling-place
in all generations.
2Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3You turn us back to dust,
and say, […]

Romans 7:14-25
14 For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin.* 15I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree […]

John 15
12 ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15I do not call you servants* any longer, because the servant* does not […]

So I am up early—I was tossing and turning and that finally seemed pointless. I dread the 4 a.m. bathroom break because often I’m just up after that. Only when pregnant though.
I wish I were a consistently productive morning person. I am more than I used to be, but only when I’m wide awake with […]

Jeremiah 1:1-10
1The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3It came also in the days of King Jehoiakim […]

So, I am working on the title for my sermon series inspired by Harry Potter, for July 1, 8 and 15.
The title of the series is giving me trouble. I am toying with “From Heaven to Hogwarts: The Gospel and Harry Potter,” because I’m addicted to alliterative titles. But I’m concerned that in that phrase, […]

Laptops are great things—connect with the world and your job without leaving your bed.
I’m totally off codeine after last evening’s unpleasantness. But Motrin is working fine. The only pain I feel in my mouth is a sore spot on my tongue from a sharp corner of the mouth guard. By the end of today I […]

What a relief, and a rare thing, to have my sermon “done” on Friday night.
From a series we’re doing at Suburban Pres. entitled “The Once and Future Church,” inspired by the Loren Mead book of the same name. (Many thanks to this article for providing the structure for the sermon.)
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
For just as the […]

…a stewardship sermon?
based on the book of Ruth,
particularly the passages that appear below
“Where you go, I will go. Where you lodge I will lodge.
Your people will be my people, and your God my God.”
How many times had Naomi heard Ruth’s words echoing in her mind since that day? Even after all this time, the scene […]

Mark 6:14-29
“A Peculiar Banquet”

King Herod heard of [the acts of Jesus], for [his] name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.”
But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one […]

A sermon based on II Corinthians 5:6-10, 14-17
6 So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— 7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and […]

I think this is kind of a silly one, but it was fun to preach. Posted partially for Mamala who was tending to little she-who-is during the sermon today.
The scripture tells the story of the disciples choosing a person to replace Judas among the 12…
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
In those days Peter stood up among the believers […]

a sermon
(Those of you who have the RevGals Advent book will recognize some of this!)
At the beginning of our service we sang one of my favorite hymns, “The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came.” Verse three describes Mary as such:
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said.
Ah, gentle Mary—mild, […]

1 Thessalonians 5
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 2For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3When they say, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come […]