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, …
Sermon texts: Exodus16: 2-4, 9-15; John 6: 24-35 A cabin full of elementary school-aged cabin campers sat around the breakfast table at Camp Sequanota and I was one of them, I was 9 or 10 years old. Throughout the week we had eaten all the normal breakfast foods: pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, oatmeal. But on …
Sermon text: John 6: 1-21 When I was sixteen I went on a servant adventure camp with a number of other youth from Zion. We traveled south to Camp Mar-Lu Ridge and did all of our service projects in the Metro DC area, including a day of service at the Capital Area Food Bank. I’m …
Sermon text: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 It’s said that often times you write the sermon you personally need to hear. This week that truth was as plain as the nose on my face as I kept reading a portion of our gospel lesson over and over again. This single verse kept resonating with me and yet …
Sermon text: Mark 6: 14-29 I’ll be honest, this is one of those gospel lessons where you hesitate to say, “Praise to you, O Christ” as we finish the reading. It’s a dark story. This week, one of my colleagues was remarking/lamenting that the beheading of John the Baptist was terrible timing because he has …
Sermon text: Mark 6: 1-13 I’ve had lots of gifted teachers and preachers in my life. Ones who made me sit up and pay attention. Ones who made my mind and imagination race. Ones who impacted my life by what they spoke. Hopefully you’ve had some of those people in your life too. Imagine would …