Sermons & Newsletter Articles

We Are Branches

Year B Acts 8:26-40 Psalm 22:24-30 1 John 4:7-21 John 15:1-8 I continue to be surprised…  sometimes…  by the ways in which we as theological consumers…  too often discount the value of the biblical treasure which comes our way…  it’s almost like selling diamonds at the price of spinach…  the ways in which we…...

Apocalyptic Hope

When I prepare sermons and newsletter articles, I include insights given me by the Holy Spirit along with those of human commentators. Sometimes I rely more on the former than the latter, and sometimes it’s vice-versa. But I can imagine many people reading the title of this article and thinking to themselves that it’s an...

Distinguishable Sheep

Year B Acts 4:5-12 Psalm 23 1 John 3:16-24 John 10:11-18 May the words of my mouth… O God… speak your Truth… Literary philosopher René Girard described the scapegoat mechanism…  as a ritual to transfer onto an animal…  everything likely to poison relations between members of the community…  and its effectiveness was based in...

Wounded and Risen

Year B Acts 4:32-35 Psalm 133 1 John 1:1-2:2 John 20:19-31 May the words of my mouth… O God… speak your Truth… It’s the second Sunday of Easter…  and Eastertide lasts until May 23… until Pentecost…  so we have several more Sundays to reflect on the paschal mystery…  on the death and resurrection of...

Resurrection

Year B Isaiah 25:6-9 Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Mark 16:1-8 May the words of my mouth… O God… speak your Truth… We learn…  we grow…  we accomplish goals…  we reach milestones in our lives…  like the tick marks on the kitchen door frame that record how tall we were at the beginning...