"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, oh Lord."

Sermons

Unfinished Business

For the last two months our Old Testament readings have been following the story of Moses and the people of Israel as they journey through the wilderness to the land that God first promised to Abraham and Sarah long, long ago. When the story begins, the Israelites are...

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They Are No More

"A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more." These words from the prophet Jeremiah are not in the scripture readings appointed for today, but...

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Christian or Barbaric?

Ever since reading today's Gospel this week I have been thinking about a young man I once knew named Todd. Todd grew up in the Midwest as a Jehovah’s Witness. His father was a leader in that denomination’s hierarchy. His mother was active in the local congregation....

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The Power of Love

In the opening pages of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the penultimate volume in that magical series, the prime minister of England is worried. Strange and ominous things have been happening across his country – dozens have died when a well-built,...

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Chain of Compassion

The original source of this quote is uncertain,  but the words have stayed with me since I first heard them in seminary many years ago. “A preacher,” the theologian said, “should have the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.” Since I spent many years...

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A Gracious Invitation

For the last three Sundays in our Gospel readings we have heard Jesus telling his disciples what life will be like for those who follow him. At first, life as a disciple sounds pretty good. Jesus gives his friends and followers the authority to cast out demons, to...

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Faithful or Insane?

Her name escaped me long ago, but her actions will haunt me forever. The rural Tennessee woman, whose story I covered as a reporter for the Nashville Banner, was a person of faith, who always tried to do what she believed God would have her do, no matter how difficult...

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A Celebration for All

I was talking to a friend a few days ago, who commented that she had heard people talking about the three-day holiday weekend. "When did Fathers' Day become a national holiday?' she asked. Well, today is Fathers' Day, and we give thanks for all the fathers among us...

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Sacred and Secular

A few years ago I visited a friend in Wilmington, Delaware, and preached at her church, Trinity Parish. The more than 100-year-old church was once one of the predominant features of the downtown Wilmington landscape. But now its spires are dwarfed by the immense...

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