Quick poll: “Who has heard of Goldilocks?” In the story “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” Goldilocks comes across the home of the three bears. She eats from three bowls of porridge – one is too salty, one is too sweet, and the final one is just right. Then, she finds three chairs – one is too high, one is too low, and the final one is just right. Finally, there are three beds – one is too hard, one is too soft, and the final one is… just right...

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Thomas, the apostle. This is a “lesser feast,” or, in other words, one that isn’t commonly celebrated. In fact, Thomas’ biblical appearances aren’t that common either. We heard him speak three times in the bible, and all three are in John’s gospel. One of the most famous times is after Jesus’ resurrection when he asked for proof. The first time he spoke was after Jesus heard of Lazarus’ death. Today’s gospel notes the other...

Today’s gospel reading picks up where last week’s left off. To understand what’s happening today, we need to recall that Jesus spoke about rejection. It’s helpful for us to feel that rejection. Take a moment to think of a time when you were rejected. In romantic relationships, it could be after a first date or decades of marriage. In our careers, we might not get that promotion or the job offer. We can be rejected from higher education, an offer on a home, or because of our identity...

So I’m not going to lie, I’ve never done this before, but I was tempted to just show up this morning and preach this sermon off the top of my head, no notes, no manuscript, completely lead by the Holy Spirit...

Contrary to popular belief, the word of the day is not “summer.” Rather, today’s word is “Trinity,” for Holy Trinity Sunday. What do we mean by Trinity? The most common Trinitarian formula is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One of my favorite Trinitarian formulas from St. Augustine is the lover, the beloved, and the love. Yet, as one colleague puts it, “The Trinity is not a doctrine to which we subscribe because it describes God … The Trinity is, instead, a description of the experience of the church.”...

This is one of my favorite Sundays of the year. It’s Pentecost! Today we get to use big words like pneumatology, and we’re decked out in red. We also hear a variety of images to help us understand the Holy Spirit, including water, wind, and fire. That combination reminds me of when the planeteers summoned Captain Planet. If you’re not familiar with the show Captain Planet, it focuses on five children, one from each continent, who were given rings that harnessed the power of earth, fire, wind, water, and heart. These rings were given to them by Gaia, the spirit of the planet. When they needed help fighting eco-villians, they’d combine their powers and then Captain Planet would help...

Language can be confusing, and words are not always clear. A phrase to one person may mean something different to another. For example, the phrase “sanctuary congregation,” can be interpreted by one person as a disregard for the law, while another hears the same phrase as a way to use the laws to promote dignity and justice. So too, in today’s reading from John we come across a phrase that has a multiplicity of interpretations. This phrase is “eternal life.” I wonder, how do you define eternal life? As I present that question, I encourage you to get out the half-sheet insert in your bulletin titled “The Seventh Sunday After Easter” and find a pen in the pew. Then, ponder that first question, “how do you define ‘eternal life?"...

Like it or not, we’re living in a social media culture. Research shows that 81% of the US population has a social networking profile.[1] Across industries, social media went from something “nice to have” to an essential strategy.[2] Places that aren’t social media-friendly are quickly finding their doors shuttered. Yet, before we share something on social media, we must first have an experience worth sharing...

Goodbyes are a difficult thing for me. Knowing it may be a while until I see friends and loved ones again is never easy. In my family, it’s also not uncommon for goodbyes to last close a really long time – once we start saying goodbye, we keep talking and talking. It sometimes takes three or four goodbyes before someone finally leaves. I remember the first time Ryan experienced this phenomena after dinner at my aunt’s house. It was late and we needed to head home, so I said, “Well I guess we should get going.” Everyone agreed – we said goodbye and Ryan got up and put his coat on. Then my cousin started another conversation. About fifteen minutes later, I again said it was time to go with a second round of goodbyes. Ryan moved closer to the door as someone else started yet another conversation. Exasperated, Ryan finally sat down again and we were there for another twenty minutes. Finally, the third time took and we left about 45 minutes after Ryan had first put on his coat. As we got in the car, Ryan asked why it took so long to leave – I looked at him confused and laughed, “That’s just how my family says goodbye!”...

This week you might have turned on the news and heard a commentator supporting the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. A flip of the channel and another commentator supported the American Health Care Act. You may have wondered, “Which voice should I listen to?” So too, when we look in the mirror, do we listen to the voice that says we are strong and wonderfully-made, or do we hear our inner-voice fat shaming us? Do we let the voice of advertisers tell us that without this face cream or that phone we cannot be happy? Different voices are all around us. And often we wonder, “Which voice do we listen to?”...