The God Who Provides
Read through the lens of Jesus, Abraham’s story is a depiction of the eucharistic life. We may be missing bread and wine, but his journey by stages includes the other elements of the eucharist: praise, worship, sacrifice, covenant, and the unrelenting love of the Faithful One. The altars which Abraham builds are like lighthouses amidst a weary and wanting world stand as a reminder of God’s presence to light the way as a spiritual reference point. The eucharist is given to us as a lighthouse, as well, that we might find safe harbor. The one who is both priest-and-victim is ever with us. God is present in the highest of highs, the lowest of lows, and everywhere in between.
"A Sermon a Day Keeps the Heresy Away"
In the last year I have taken to the adage, “A sermon a day keeps the heresy away.” I have committed to reading and/or listening to a sermon every day and it has paid dividends in my own preaching life. For the preacher, or for preaching student-practitioners, there is something particularly formative about reading a sermon manuscript or listening to a sermon preached.* When I see how someone else interacts with a difficult text or moves seamlessly from exegesis to application, or who has mastery over language, cadence, and tone it sets my heart on fire.
You’ll Never Walk Alone
The Trinity means that you are never alone. It means that you are never without promise, presence, or purpose. It means that you always have provision and protection, peace and power. It means that your response is always to be praise and proclamation.
Child of God, What Are Your Intentions?
And yet, we are here tonight because two thousand years ago a Jewish itinerant preacher was killed by Rome, raised from the dead, led his disciples to a hillside in Galilee, whereupon he gave them their final marching orders, and then he ascended into the heavens, where he is now seated at the right hand of the Father. This event has shocking theological meaning and missional ramifications.
How Now Shall We Live?
Friends, we woke up today with one question in front of us: how now shall we live?The good news is that Jesus is still seated on the throne. The cosmic king of the universe, the one who is reigning and ruling over all things, is still firmly in charge, in control, in command.
Lyke Lost Shepe
All we lyke lost shepe have gone astray, but praise be to God that the Good Shepherd’s mercy is more, his forgiveness is stronger, his grace is amazing, and his love is unrelenting.
The God Who Always Provides
As Christians, we have been crucified with Christ through the waters of baptism and we have been raised to new life with him by his resurrection. This is why we renew our baptismal covenant at the Easter Vigil, this is a baptist liturgy. Resurrection means that God has provided us with new life, resurrection life, everlasting and eternal life in the here and now because of what he has done in Christ, because of what God has done in, through, and for him.
Were Not Our Hearts Burning Within Us?
In all of his gracious goodness, Jesus is willing to travel miles with his disciples to show them who he is and what he has done. Jesus always draws near because he is Emmanuel, God with us and he is always near to us. He meets the disciples in their grief and walks with them through it, turning their broken hearts into burning hearts.
Do You Know What I have Done To You?
Maundy Thursday is charged with so much historical electricity, such thick theological meaning that you can’t take a step or two without bumping into a significant biblical theme. It’s like a one-pot meal: Passover, Eucharist, sacrificial lambs, foot washing, stripping the altar, pain, passion, servitude, glory, forgiveness, and divine love all mixed together.
Substitutiary Locomotion?
On this Fifth Sunday in Lent, the final Sunday before the Sunday of the Passion and the commencing of Holy Week, the lectionary offers us up a heavy and necessary dose of hopeful fortification for the things to come. After the pomp and circumstance of next week’s procession of palms, we will be thrust into the depths of the crucifixion, into the agony of the cross and tragically tremendous terror that is the fallenness of humanity. It will be so easy for us to enter into the narrative and lose sight of the fact that Jesus is not helpless in his hour of need, but rather the Powerful One has allowed himself to be powerless that humanity’s perpetual propensity for sin might extinguish and exhaust itself upon his life and body.
Give Up: An Ash Wednesday Sermon
want you to know that there is hope at the end of this, there is light at the end of the penitential tunnel, there is peace to be found, there is joy to be embraced, there is glory in our midst. In order to find the hope, light, peace, joy, and glory we must have a shift of perspective and discover the remedy to our heart condition and sin-sick souls.
Sermon for Advent 1C
The news cycle, the tragedies of the world, and the Covid pandemic do not, cannot, and will not have the last word: the last word belongs to the Suffering Servant who has redeemed his people.
Christmas Eve Sermon: Questions and Answers
There will be a time when darkness is replaced by light, when death is replaced by joy, when oppression is replaced by deliverance.There will be a day when peace will reign over the throne of David and his kingdom.There will be a day when the yoke of burden, the rod of the oppressor, and the bar across their shoulders are broken.