This is the first sermon in our series “Finding Our Way.” We will explore the life that Jesus’ invites us to live in, what he called, The Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 1 establishes that Jesus is the rightful heir to the throne of David and the long-awaited Messiah. View Page 1 of The Cartoonist’s Guide […]

This sermon concludes the four weeks of A Deeper Advent. We explore Mary’s beautiful prophetic poem–the magnificat–in Luke 1:46-55. Is it really loving for God to cast down some people and exalt others? Is there, perhaps, a deeper love that brings healing to all people, no matter what side of our many human divisions we […]

This sermon lights the candle of hope on Advent 1. Advent is a season in which we embrace the darkness. Our hope is not in the wishful thinking that God will someday remove everything we don’t like. Rather, our hope lies in the promise that God is with us, God is for us, and God […]

This sermon is our last stop on the twelve-week series A Deep Life. The key texts are Luke 17:11-19 and Deuteronomy 26:1-11. It was presented on the Sunday after Thanksgiving and explores both generosity and thanksgiving. When we take the time to reflect on God’s activity in our lives and the world, it bubbles up […]

This sermon begins a three week series on Generosity. In ______ We Trust? What would you fill in that gap? Americans have been trained to say, “God” because it is printed on all our money. I wonder how true it is. Genesis 3:1-13 sets the stage for the human condition and reminds us why it […]

This sermon happened both on All Saints Day and one week after the Synagogue Shooting in Pittsburgh. Worship is the communal practice that shapes us into particular communities, AND ALSO unites us across religious boundaries to the infinite, eternal flame of God’s Shalom. I did not write a manuscript for this sermon. It is the […]

What is worship, and how is it relevant in a secular age? That is the big question for this sermon as we continue our Deep Life Series. The key texts are 1 Chronicles 16:23-31, Acts 2:43-47, and Matthew 4:8-11. Read the manuscript Talking about worship to a group of people gathered in a traditional Lutheran […]

This sermon is part two of a three-week mini series on prayer from A Deep Life series. We live is a noisy world filled with hundreds of voices screaming at us every second of our mediated lives. How can we discern which voice is God’s voice? This sermon explores three practical steps to do just […]

This sermon continues A Deep Life series and launches a three-week mini series on prayer. What is prayer and why is it important. The main text is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Read the Manuscript Prayer is weird. Think about it. You talk to someone, or something, that you can’t see and that never seems to talk back. […]

What are the three questions we must ask when we take a trip? Where Am I? Where Am I Going? How Will I Get there? This sermon explores A Deep Life with the metaphor of a journey, and applies these questions to the process of growing in faith. How can we continue growing and going […]