“Re:member” -- Psalm 77 Since the days of the Early Church, Christians have always observed a season of preparation for Easter that focuses on the themes of penance, reconciliation, prayer and good works. We set aside time for honest self-reflection, to ask ourselves, “How is it with my soul?” “How is it between me and God, or my neighbors, friends, enemies, strangers?” “Where in my life, in my relationships, is there brokenness and a need for forgiveness or reconciliation?” “What doubts, … [Read more...]
Where God Is
“Where God Is” 1 John 4:7-21 It still happens from time to time that a stranger will stop to ask us for directions. But it’s a rare occurrence, these days. Thanks to the personal navigation device, just about anyone can get to just about anywhere from just about wherever they happen to be. The GPS has saved a lot of time, and a lot of marriages. If Moses had had a GPS, it wouldn’t have taken him 40 years to get from Egypt to the Promised Land. You can find anything these days – even if you … [Read more...]
Without Let or Hindrance — A Sermon on Homosexuality and the Christian Faith
Acts 8:26-40 Later this afternoon, United Methodist clergy and laypersons from our Annual Conference will meet in Pasadena with our Bishop, Minerva Carcano, for what is called a time of “Holy Conferencing on Biblical Obedience.” Both Rev. Martha and I will attend, along with several hundred others, as we seek to respond to the growing conflict between our denomination’s policy on homosexuality and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Book of Discipline, which constitutes the official law and … [Read more...]
Seeing in the Dark
How did you come to believe in God? As you look back over the course of your life, were there unique experiences or events that shaped your faith and understanding of God? In my particular line of work, I tend to hear a lot of “conversion” stories from people. Some people can tell you the exact date on which they were “saved” and describe in dramatic detail how they gave their lives to Christ. Others might describe their conversion experience as something like a long journey, or an evolving … [Read more...]
Who Is Jesus?
Those of you who heard me preach last week heard me say that, as Christians who believe in the sovereignty of God, we affirm that God is free and capable of revealing himself in ways that are not specifically or even remotely Christian – if God so chooses. Because God is God, he cannot be contained in any of our systems of belief. In other words, if God wants to reveal himself through Buddhist meditation, or through a Native American vision quest, or through the playful song of a blackbird, … [Read more...]
