An account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. From Abraham to David: Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, Jacob fathered Judah and […]
Psalm 103: Thanksgiving
My soul, bless the Lord; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord and do not forget all His benefits. Oh, if only, if every wish of […]
All Saints: Tobit 3:7-8, 7:10-12; Revelation 7:9-17; Matthew 22:23-29: Who’s Doing the Counting?
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 […]
Isaiah 66:1-2: Reformation, God Working Through Our Human Failures
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
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
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
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 […]
Sandy Webb’s Funeral Homily: Baptism Does What?
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
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?
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 […]