With Memorial Day just a few days away, I’ve been reflecting on a conversation I had with a now-deceased parishioner who, along with more than 150,000 other soldiers, had stormed the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944. While he lived to tell about it, he often jokingly acknowledged that he might have been killed had it not been for his short stature. “The bullets flew right over my head,” he confessed. “It was the only time in my life that I had been grateful to be short.” Surviving the … [Read more...]
Darkness is Inevitable
“The Darkness Is Inevitable” Psalm 23 Last summer, when I planned our “Simply Put” sermon series, I had in my mind the image of a wise, venerable sage, in the sunset of his or her life, sitting at a desk with pen and paper in a quiet, lamp-lit study, transcribing for us the simplest truths of faith and life—the holy, indispensable lessons that only one who has experienced the wonders and anguish, the heights and depths of life, could ever truly convey. She sits at her desk, and in the … [Read more...]
Mental Illness and the Christian Faith
Be Well Luke 8:26-39 “How are you?” It’s the most common question in all the world, in every culture. “How are you?” “Como esta?” “Comment allez-vous?” “Come Va?” In my household, it's ‘Wutz poppin’?” “Wutz buzzin cousin?” “How’s your gravy?” “ Wassabi?” How are you? It’s both the most commonly asked question and the most halfheartedly, guardedly, disingenuously answered question, too. We rarely answer it truthfully. Instead, we turn to one of our standard, innocuous responses. … [Read more...]
Ancient Vinyl
The Magnificat -- Luke 1:46-55 The tragic news out of San Bernardino this week is enough to break our hearts in two and send us all to our knees in prayer. San Bernardino is my birthplace and the city of my childhood. It holds a special place in my heavy heart this week. It’s home to many friends and family members. It’s where Lori and I met and began dating at the age of sixteen, where both of our mothers still live, and where many of my colleagues pastor churches in these days of grief and … [Read more...]
He Ain’t Heavy
Genesis 33:1-15 Rev. Mark Feldmeir A preacher is given a parrot as a gift from a parishioner, and it turns out that the parrot swears like a sailor. Every word out of the bird's mouth is laced with profanity. The swearing goes on day after day, until one day the preacher finally snaps, grabs the bird by the throat, and demands that he clean up his language. This just makes the parrot swear even more, so the preacher, desperate for some peace and quiet, throws the parrot into the freezer and … [Read more...]
