Sermon text: Mark 10: 17-31 Of all the people in Mark’s Gospel, this is the only person who Jesus looks at and loves. It’s the only time Jesus shows this kind of attachment to this curious and sincere young man who kneels before him, pays him a complement, and then asks a weighty question: “What …
Sermon text: Mark 10: 2-16 I confess that I procrastinated on this sermon this week because I heard this gospel lesson in an intensely personal way. It’s the first time preaching on this text since my divorce. And if you’re like me and that’s part of your story, or perhaps if your parents have been …
Sermon text: Mark 9: 38-50 One of my favorite professors in seminary was famous for asking a clarifying question whenever we read the word “all” in scripture. How much of all is all? Simple. Brilliant even. The answer of course, should be, all. There’s a lot of churches in Blair County, which means there are …
Sermon text: Mark 9: 30-37 A few years ago, I was out in Minnesota for my grandmother’s funeral, and I had the pleasure of staying with my cousin and his two young children: Chase, who at the time was 5 and Kendall, 3. While I was there Tim’s wife Danielle was in the hospital, so …
Mark 7: 24-37 We’re drawing close to the middle of Mark’s Gospel and Jesus has been hard at work, constantly at work. Jesus has been burning the candle at both ends and now he and the disciples are going to get away from Galilee, away from the crowds, away from expectations, away from the call …
Sermon text: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Did you ever notice that Jesus saves his sharpest barbs and most pointed criticisms for the people who were the most religious? Jesus doesn’t tear down the tax collectors and the prostitutes. He doesn’t target criminals or those with loose morals. No. It’s the Pharisees. It’s the scribes. The …
Sermon text: Ephesians 6: 10-20 When I was at Camp Sequanota the other week I was there during Theme Week—everyday had a different wacky theme or subject. Thursday’s theme was Prom Night. I, of course, wore my tuxedo jacket, cummerbund, and bow tie over top of my shorts and tee shirt. This was the very …
Sermon text: John 6: 51-58 A six-inch club sub from Sheetz on white bread with provolone cheese, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, black olives, and pickles. For decades that has been my go-to fast food meal when I am feeling lazy or pinched for time and don’t want to cook. I’ve eaten dozens and dozens of these …
Sermon text: 1 Kings 19: 4-8 There are times in our life when it feels like no matter what we do it is not enough. We complete a task, a chore, a job and there’s no thank you. There’s no gratitude. But another task will quickly pop up, another to-do item will populate our lists, …
