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A Family Like Mine: Biblical Stories of Love, Loss, and Longing
https://bookstore.upperroom.org/Products/1921/a-family-like-mine.aspxWhom Shall I Fear: Urgent Questions for Christians in an Age of Violence
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Category Archives: sermon
Gloriana
[Sometimes, the search for a sermon feels like a game of free association – chasing words down rabbit holes and across parklands, trying to track down an idea, the spirit of an idea, and bottle it. This week’s wild goose … Continue reading
Year B Proper 23: of camels, elephants, and us
The only way through the eye of the needle is conversion into something that will fit, something fit for the kingdom of God. Continue reading
Posted in sermon
Tagged elephant in the room, gun violence, Jesus, money, politics, racism, rich young ruler
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Threading the needle
First, unpack your camel. Divest it of its commodities: sugar, salt, and spices, unguents, oils, perfume, all excisable goods must go; hold a trunk sale if you must. Next, take off its defences; not only the cannons and the turret … Continue reading
Year B Proper 21: the hell with it
From this morning’s gospel: If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your … Continue reading
Posted in sermon
Tagged Amy-Jill Levine, eternal punishment, forgiveness, Gehenna, gospel, hell, Jesus, Mark 9:38-50, Richard Holloway
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Year B Proper 20: all the questions you were afraid to ask
A typical conversation with a toddler turning from two to three might go a bit like this: Let’s put on your shoes. – Why? Because we need to go shopping for food. – Why? So that we have … Continue reading
Posted in sermon
Tagged James 3:13-4:8, James brother of Jesus, Mark 9:30-37, Year B Proper 20
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Year B Proper 19: Jesus, losers, the cross, and The Donald
Are we ashamed of the continuing bitterness of the world, and Christ’s endurance of it? Do we wish in our hearts that he would come down off that cross and smash it with their mallets and pile the pieces into a funeral pyre for all death and suffering, all grief and strife? Of course. Continue reading
Posted in lectionary reflection, poetry, sermon preparation
Tagged cross, Donald MacKinnon, Donald Trump, Jesus, Resurrection, shame, Year B Proper 19
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Year B Proper 17: commandments vs amendments
It all starts out so well: “This will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!’” pronounces Moses, so full of … Continue reading
A vain and foolish thing
Vain and foolish, one would not think that with no animal spirit, nor soul, no mind of its own, but an idle thing could inspire such passion, such pain, such tearing, such rending of hearts, of lives apart; only with … Continue reading
Posted in lectionary reflection, poetry, prayer, sermon preparation
Tagged Deuteronomy 4, gun control, gun violence, Mark. 7, WBDJ, Year B Proper 17
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Year B Proper 15: the bread of life
“How can this man give us his flesh to eat on the moon?” they demanded to know, adding, “This is getting a little ridiculous.”
So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” Continue reading