It has not been a good time for the people of Israel when the prophet Joel enters the scene. Wave upon wave of locusts have descended upon the country, each causing more and more destruction, until finally nothing is left. “The fields are devastated, the ground...
One afternoon this week I began my sermon writing ritual. Spread out on my desk were a Bible open to today’s scripture passage, several commentaries, and a notepad. I was just getting absorbed in the work when Dunstan suddenly appeared. For those of you who are new to...
It was not the word from the Lord that the Israelites were hoping or expecting to hear. God is addressing the survivors of the Babylonian invasion of Israel, almost 600 years before the birth of Christ. Those who survived the...
Amos 6: 1a, 4-7 Grace to you and peace in the name of God, Creator, Redeemer, and Holy Comforter. Amen Nearly 800 years before the birth of Jesus, the land of Israel was enjoying a long and peaceful period of prosperity under the reign of King Jeroboam. The...
Luke 16: 1-13 In the name of God, Creator, Redeemer and Holy Comforter. Amen Last Spring, it seemed as if everyone was watching Jeopardy because James Holzhauer was something of a national phenomenon. When James was first introduced as a professional sports...
Luke 15: 1-10 In the name of God, Creator, Redeemer and Holy Comforter. Amen. The gospels are always talking about sheep and shepherds, but there are very few of us at St. Dunstan’s in the 21st Century who know sheep up close and personal. I have had a personal...
Luke 14:25-33 In the name of God, Creator, Redeemer, and Holy Comforter. Amen. Have you ever gotten started on a project and realized it was going to be a lot more work than you thought at first? Sometimes this happens on Christmas Eve around midnight when you’re...
By The Rev. Bill Deneke A call to confession and hope belong together in Isaiah’s prophetic vision. Speaking for God, the prophet/poet proclaims God’s distaste for worship that denies the realities of poverty and injustice. God is tired of hearing your songs of...
