All the counting in Scripture. On its first page, the words, “In the beginning” ring out, commencing the count. So tabulate the days as they unfold. “The evening came and […]
All Saints: Tobit 3:7-8, 7:10-12; Revelation 7:9-17; Matthew 22:23-29: Who’s Doing the Counting?
November 4, 2018 by
Making Sense of God when Our World Doesn’t
October 29, 2018 by
This is our pastor’s newsletter for November 2018. In our grief, we sigh, “Why, Lord?” Such words formed in my mouth when Dean Webb died, with Sandy, his wife, […]
Isaiah 66:1-2: Reformation, God Working Through Our Human Failures
October 29, 2018 by
A monk at Wittenberg, nails a document on a church door. Written in Latin, he desires to spark a debate. For this man spots others selling something called “indulgences,” which […]
Ecclesiastes 5:10-20, Luke 12:13-21: Enjoy All in Christ
October 29, 2018 by
In the realm of wealth, we listen today to an expert. The teacher is Solomon, the wealthiest king of Israel. To put his life in modern terms—he owned cars, houses, […]
Mark 4:35-41, Revelation 14:13: Donna Kind-Gappa’s Funeral Sermon: Blessed are the Dead Who Die in the Lord
September 21, 2018 by
The story is the tale of your life, soaked into the bones and marrow of your being. The sun warms your face, but distant thunder cleaves your ears. Soon, dark […]
Mark 9:14-29: Faith and Faithfulness
September 16, 2018 by
In today’s Gospel, Jesus triumphs in a spiritual miracle, casting out a demon. For us, this is almost unrelatable because we can explain, in some way, people’s bizarre conduct. In […]
A Lesson on Grieving
September 16, 2018 by
With two deaths within a week, a lesson like this made sense. For when someone you know and love dies, you suffer an enormous sense of loss. It is like […]
Sandy Webb’s Funeral Homily: Baptism Does What?
September 15, 2018 by
John 3:1-7, 14-17; Genesis 7:11-13, 22-23; 8:1, 9:8-15; 1 Peter 3:18-21 Sometimes, someone enters your life who speaks the truth, flowing from a heart of love, without pretense or agenda. […]
Mark 7:24-37: Knocked Down by Sin and Death
September 13, 2018 by
In less than a week, two deaths—Sandy Webb and Donna Kind-Gappa. So close together, we are left unable to make sense of this. Inside, we are a mess of emotions, […]
Ephesians 5:22-33: Love and Submission?
September 13, 2018 by
Such a reviled word, submission. Given a different worldview, which concerns itself for others, we set aside our desires and rights for the benefit of another. Now, this is part […]
