A Passion for the Partial

download a PDF of this textlisten to this sermon Texts on Sunday, August 16, 20091 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 I hope for you that this summer has moments beautiful and set apart enough from the ordinary run of days to sting you. If you have a favorite summer get-away and...

Why Struggle?

download a PDF of this textlisten to this sermon Texts on Sunday, June 21, 20091 Samuel 17; 2 Corinthians 6: 1-13; Mar 4:35-41 One thing shared by all these stories we’ve heard today you have no doubt felt, if not thought—how their subject is struggle. David’s...

Incomes’ Outcomes

download a PDF of this textlisten to this sermon Texts on Sunday, November 22, 2009Deuteronomy 14:22-29 & 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 You’re probably familiar with this word, tithe. People usually say it means giving to the church one tenth of your income. Now, it may be...

Teaching Jesus to Fish

download a PDF of this textlisten to this sermon Texts on the Fifth Sunday in Lent, March 29, 2009     Jeremiah 31: 27-34; Luke 5: 1-11 One often hears it said of Jesus that he was a great teacher. In today’s story, so many want to hear him at the...

A Single Mind

download a PDF of this textlisten to this sermon Texts on the Third Sunday in Lent, March 15, 2009  Exodus 20: 1-17; James 4: 7-8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. How many commandments are there? Ten? How many laws? How many rules? Six hundred...

The Trouble with Terah

                                                                               Audio of the sermon Download PDF Texts on Sunday, February 15, 2009 Genesis 11:27—12:5; Matthew 6: 19-24 I’m going to use my hands to shape part of the ancient Middle East, to show you Ur,...

Twice-Told Tales

download a PDF of this textlisten to this sermon Texts on the Fourth Sunday in Advent, December 21, 2008Luke 1: 5-25; 1 Samuel 1: 1-20 The Hebrew Bible opens with a story about creation. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth . . .” ...

Mothers of God

download a PDF of this textlisten to this sermon Texts on the Second Sunday in Advent December 7, 2008Isaiah 7: 1-4, 10-16 and Matthew 1: 1-25 “A gentle woman housed God in her womb and asked as its price peace for the world, salvation for those who are lost,...

Considering Adoption

download a PDF of this textlisten to this sermon Texts on the First Sunday of Advent, November 30, 2008     Romans 1: 1-7; Mark 1: 1-11 Today is the first Sunday of Advent. We call it a time of preparation or waiting. But waiting and preparing for what? Christmas? The...

You Can’t Do That By Yourself

download a PDF of this textlisten to this sermon Texts on Christ the King Sunday, November 23, 2008Ezekiel 34: 1-16; Matthew 25: 31-46 Before I read from the prophet Ezekiel, a reminder about his audience. The destruction of Jerusalem is done. The city is burned, the...