“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...]
Words of Revolution: Our Father
“Words of Revolution: Our Father” Galatians 4:1-10 Rev. Mark Feldmeir A burglar broke into a house in the middle of the night. As he tiptoed through the house, he heard a voice in the darkness. It said, "Jesus... is watching you." The burglar froze in his tracks and waited quietly. He took another step, and again he heard the voice. "Jesus... is watching you." Scanning the room with his flashlight he noticed a birdcage in the corner. A parrot was perched calmly in the cage. "Was that you?" … [Read more...]
The Walking Wounded
“The Walking Wounded” Genesis 32:22-31 Rev. Mark Feldmeir A cab driver arrives at the Pearly Gates and announces his presence to St. Peter, who looks him up in his Big Book. Upon reading the entry, St. Peter hands the cabby a robe and a golden staff and opens the gates. A preacher is next in line. He announces himself to St. Peter, and upon scanning the preacher's entry in the Big Book, St. Peter furrows his brow and says, "I suppose we'll let you in, but you only get the cloth robe and … [Read more...]
Wide Awake
“Wide Awake” Genesis 28 Several years ago, as a farewell gift, my former congregation in Rancho Santa Margarita presented me with a signed and numbered lithograph by the Russian-born French artist, Marc Chagall, whose work I have long admired and who is one the most celebrated artists of the twentieth century. As an artist, Chagall drew deeply on the resources of the unconscious and the dreamy, surreal world of Jewish myth and fable, where fiddlers dance and livestock drift above the earth … [Read more...]
Think Outside the Bowl
A few weeks ago I had one of those windshield conversations with my eighteen-year old son, Casey. We were heading home after a week of fishing in the High Sierras when, quite unexpectedly, he asked if I was nervous about preaching my first sermon at St. Andrew. It’s a beautiful thing when your eighteen-year old son asks you a question that doesn’t end with the words “money,” “credit card,” or “car keys.” “Dad, are you nervous about preaching your first sermon at St. Andrew?” I was touched by … [Read more...]
