“Conceived in bigotry and dedicated to the proposition that my tribe is holier than thine”. With deep apologies to President Lincoln, I fear this describes the practice of Christianity among White americans in the twenty-first century. It’s really painful to admit this. What is going on? Recently I visited a man wearing a T-shirt that said “Jesus is my savior.… Read more →
Category: Sermon
Sermon for Labor Day at Belleville Congregational Church (Matthew 10:5-13)
Isaiah 58 :3-12 ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’ Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day, and oppress all your workers. Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your… Read more →
Good News or Fake News? Theology of the cross, or theology of glory?
Katelyn Beaty, a former editor of the self-styled “evangelical” publication Christianity Today, wrote a summary of a meeting at Wheaton College in Illinois about whether their movement should distance themselves from the present (2018) leader of the Republican Party. They couldn’t figure it out. Maybe they should read the Barmen Declaration. It asks the question of whether the church should… Read more →
State religion, ritual, and faith
Journalist Molly Worthen wrote an interesting piece for the New York Times headlined How to escape from Roy Moore’s evangelicalism. She makes an interesting point about ritual and its effect on the human psyche, on my mind and yours. The habits we follow every day shape us as much as, or more than Sunday worship, even for those of us who turn… Read more →
To the Mountain and Back — A sermon for First Parish in Newbury
Sermon Text: Matthew 17:1-9 The Transfiguration of Jesus Grace to you, and peace, from God our creator and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen Mountaintop experiences. We’ve all had them. I invite you to think about your personal mountaintop experiences. They could be anything. Maybe yours was something huge and visible and shared like a wedding or a graduation. Or maybe… Read more →
Loopholes? Or justice and kindness? A sermon for First Parish of Newbury
Texts Micah 6:1-4, 6-8 1Hear what the Lord says: Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. 2Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the Lord has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel. 3“O my people, what have I done… Read more →
Searching for the kingdom of heaven: A sermon for First Parish of Newbury
Text Matthew 4:12-23 12Now when Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee; 13and leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea,… Read more →
The Holy Spark of Recognition: A sermon for First Parish of Newbury
Text: John 1:29-42 29The next day [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him; but for this I… Read more →
Conversations to open up the future in God’s realm – A sermon for First Parish of Newbiry
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you in the name of God, our creator, redeemer, and sustaining spirit. Amen. For the people of First Parish in Newbury. Conversations. Let’s have a conversation about conversations. Texts: Isaiah 7:10-16 Matthew 1:18-25 When I imagine God’s realm of peace, mercy, and justice, I imagine it’s buzzing with conversations. Maybe it’s like a café… Read more →
Hope –be careful when you put it to the test – A sermon for First Parish of Newbury
For the people of First Parish of Newbury. Grace, mercy, and peace to you, from God our creator and our redeemer Christ Jesus. Amen Texts: The Song of Mary: Luke 1:46-55 Isaiah 35:1-10 Matthew 11:2-11 How do you like this season of the year? Does it bring you lots of joy? Do you enjoy listening to Bing Crosby crooning Chestnuts… Read more →
