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…
As some of you know from Facebook, as some of you may have guessed through my recent silence, my dad passed away last week. On Thursday, March 7. In a hospice room at St. Francis hospital in Wichita. With the sun shining and the Hallelujah Chorus playing on my brother’s ipad. Facing his bride of…
Friends, I am posting this as I sit in my father’s ICU room, grateful that he is getting some much needed rest. Grateful for medical technology and medical staff; grateful for caring friends and hospitable strangers; grateful for ancient words that ring notes of truth and comfort in my heart. I am also scared. Scared…
In Luke 13, Jesus tells a parable about a barren fig tree. The tree is planted in a vineyard, and the owner is unhappy because the tree is not bearing fruit. “Cut it down,” he says. But the vintner says, “I’ll dig around it, fertilize it. Let’s give it one more year.” And the vast…
Our preacher this week is using both of the lament over Jerusalem texts from Luke: 13:31-35 and 19:41-44. Here is the call to worship I wrote. (You can find our Lenten offertory prayer here.) Jesus weeps for us, because we do not know the things that make for peace. The Holy Spirit blows among us,…
Our gospel reading for this week is really a rather odd bit of scripture. Only five verses and still we have two distinct parts. In the first, Jesus is warned—by the Pharisees no less—that Herod is out to kill him. Jesus responds by calling Herod a “fox” and saying he will go to Jerusalem anyway.…
Below is the introduction and conclusion from last Sunday’s sermon on Luke 4:1-13. Have you ever played “peek-a-boo” with a baby? Hide your face behind a baby blanket or your hands, wait a beat, and . . . “Peek-a-boo!” The baby’s squeals of delight are enough to make you repeat the move over and over…
Spacious Faith 