Category Archives: sermon

Custody of the eyes

Jesus said, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.” Gruesome stuff. And what on earth does he mean by it? I remember when our youngest child was newborn, and sleeping in my arms in the living … Continue reading

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Year A Epiphany 5: salt

If rock salt comes from rocks (hence the salt mines), and sea salt comes from the sea, where does table salt come from? Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” But … Continue reading

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the light of the world

When you hide your face, the sky falls. Stars burn cold; the sun slumps, refusing to rise to the occasion; the moon gapes like a dumb rock. When you look away, ashen shadows coat everything with their fingerless touch. Turn … Continue reading

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Year A Epiphany 3: walking in the light

There was a fascinating piece on yesterday’s NPR program, Weekend Edition, about a man named Pedro Reyes who is working on a huge collection of guns.[1] In fact, he has access to thousands in the city of Culiacan, Mexico, where … Continue reading

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A reflection for a community celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr

Delivered at Lakeshore Christian Church, Sunday 19 January 2014 Last spring, when word got out about the women who had escaped from a cruel kidnapping, about the decade that they had spent imprisoned in an ordinary little house in an … Continue reading

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Year A Epiphany 2: the Lamb

It seems oddly fitting that we are dedicating altar bells to the accompaniment of the Gospel reading of John announcing the arrival of the Lamb of God. Actually, there have been a couple of coincidences with the choosing and dedicating … Continue reading

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A Gethsemane prayer

For once, just for once you tried to lay your burdens, those acquired from crowds and children, a collection of tax collectors, sinners and scribes along the way – for once, just for once you tried to lay them on … Continue reading

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The Baptism of Our Lord

Today’s sermon began with yesterday’s story about Noah’s dove… Is this what Jesus meant, when he told his cousin John that he must be baptized to fulfill all righteousness: that he would have to go back to the beginning, when … Continue reading

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The dove

Back in the days of Noah, the heavens were opened and it rained for forty days and nights, and there was a flood. As you may remember, Noah and his family survived the deluge aboard an ark, onto which they … Continue reading

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Day 36: remaining

Originally posted on Epiphany's Bible Challenge:
Exodus 40; Psalm 30; Mark 3 “Whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on each stage of their journey; but if the cloud was not taken…

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