*Below is the last part of my Easter sermon from this past Sunday (Luke 24:1-12). You can find the entire sermon here. I know that Easter sermons usually focus on the women–their faithfulness, their witness. Or maybe on the men and their disbelief. Or, if we preachers just want to go for the obvious, we…
The church I serve is pretty non-traditional, but we do have some traditions. One of them is that the children are invited to color the bulletins every Easter. We have a potluck breakfast before worship, and when the kids finish eating they can gather around a table with a stack of bulletins and assorted crayons,…
About a month ago, on a Sunday night, my mom took my dad to the emergency room because he had a fever that wouldn’t go away. After discovering his blood pressure was extremely low, they admitted him to the hospital. Then they sent him to another hospital. By the time I got there three days…
I’ve decided to cancel Lent next year. I’m pretty sure, as a (still) ordained part-time Mennonite pastor, I have that kind of power. I mean, I have a card in my wallet signed by the conference minister. So be looking for the headlines: No Lent Next Year. Last year a dear church member and friend…
With Matthew 28:1-10 The earth is shaking. Are angels descending? The tomb is before us. Is the stone rolling back? It’s bright as lightning, blinding as the sun reflecting off of snow. Of course we are afraid. But we need not tremble. We need not become like the dead. Because the tomb is empty and…
If you know me, my church, or my blog well at all, you know that I support gay rights. I think God supports gay rights. I think the sacredness of marriage is about mutual love, commitment, and respect. Period. And if you have had the opportunity (or misfortune?) to talk with me about “the issue”…
This is the Good Friday service I put together for this year. We will again be using a script put together by a church member that simply pulls out the dialog of the passion story. I find this to be a powerful reading, though it could be confusing for people unfamiliar with the story. You…
“Six days before Passover.” Probably a couple of months–though only one chapter–after Lazarus was dead, and then not dead. Only seven days–and seven chapters–before the crucifixion. “Six days before Passover.” Wedged between resurrection and death. “Jesus came to Bethany.” Just north of Bethlehem and that legendary manger. Just east of Jerusalem and that infamous cross.…
This is the doodle prayer I prayed for Dad while I was with him in the hospital. You can see that I never did finish it. Or, I guess it is finished, but not how I wanted it to be. In the hospital, I learned that praying through deep fear and grief is hard. Not…
This call to worship is inspired by Isaiah 43:16-21 and John 12:1-8. As always, you are welcome to use this liturgy in your own worship context. Holy, Leading, Loving God, We seek a path through the raging sea. We thirst for water in the parched desert. We long for signs of life in the barren…
Spacious Faith 