1 Corinthians 1:18-25 Whether you find yourself jumping at the site of a spider or working up a sweat at the mere thought of boarding an airplane, fears and phobias seem to plague just about every one of us, often in very debilitating ways. If I were to ask you to name some of your personal fears, you might list the fear of death, or the fear of snakes, or the fear of heights, or the fear of clowns, otherwise known as coulrophobia. Perhaps you would list the particular condition called … [Read more...]
In Praise of the Imperfect Life
Jeremiah 1:4-10 Ordained ministry is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling vocations imaginable. As a pastor, I am given to share with others both the ache and the awe of human experience—to sit with others in their darkest hour, to share with them in their greatest joys, and to walk with them through all those seemingly ordinary moments in between. It is a gift. Along that journey, it’s my calling to utter the good news of Jesus Christ—that God is nearer than you may know; that God is … [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...]
Face the Flinch
A few weeks ago I preached a sermon that continues to generate feedback from listeners. The sermon addressed the seemingly counter-intuitive, paradoxical, even illogical teaching of Jesus about the command to "carry our cross." When Peter first heard these words, he said, “It cannot be” (Mark 8). He could not believe what he was hearing: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever … [Read more...]
“Random Acts of Kindness?” Sermon posted on Scribd
This past Sunday I spoke about the well-intentioned, but naive advice to "practice random acts of kindness." It's not that we don't need more kindness in the world; it's that "random" just doesn't get the job done. The forces that work against kindness, generosity, neighborliness and peace in this world are not random, but well-organized, often institutionalized, and extremely persistent. They depend on our "random" response for their very survival. We can do better -- and we must. The … [Read more...]
