Sermon

As I’ve gone about my travels, I’ve been asking people if they have any special plans for the holiday season. And there’s been common theme: “We’re going home for Christmas.” Or “All the kids are coming home to celebrate with us this year; it’s going to be a full house!” […]

Sermon: Homecoming Christmas

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            I’ve never met a soul who didn’t love Christmas music!             Shortly after Thanksgiving (or even before) we start to hear those familiar holiday songs on the radio, piped over loud speakers, in stores and doctor’s offices and – well – “everywhere we go”: “I’m Dreaming of a White […]

Sermon: Mary’s Song

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When I first started preaching I always thought it was so odd for the common lectionary to begin Advent – every year – with Jesus prophesying the Apocalypse. “What kind of a way is this to begin our journey to the manger?” I’d ask myself. It’s definitely not something you’d […]

Sermon: Apocalyptic Advent

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There’s a great movie called A Few Good Men. It’s one of the few movies that Diane and I agree upon as a classic film that we both want to watch almost every time it comes on TV. For me it’s because one of the stars is Jack Nicholson, who […]

Sermon: What is Truth

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One hundred years ago today, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, fighting in World War I came to an end. Kaiser Wilhelm had abdicated on the previous day, and the new government of Germany, eager for peace, immediately concluded an armistice agreement […]

Sermon: The Widow’s Sacrifice

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Today is Reformation Sunday. I had fully intended to regale my congregation this morning by recalling the origins of our particular faith, and share a bit of the history of our beloved Reformed tradition. And then I was going to extol upon the virtues of Presbyterianism, and talk about what […]

Sermon: Stewards of Mystery*

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CHRIST WITH THE FISHERMAN BY ERNST ZIMMERMAN
In her 2005 book on John Paul the Great, Wall Street Journal columnist, Peggy Noonan draws some sharp distinctions between differing kinds of greatness. She writes about one particular encounter she had: “I am talking with the head of a mighty American corporation. We’re in his window-lined office, high in […]

Sermon: Success God’s Way

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Some time ago, I read a true story about a man who came to Peter Marshall, former chaplain of the United States Senate, with a concern about tithing. “I have a problem,” he said. “I have been tithing for some time. It wasn’t too bad when I was making $20,000 […]

Sermon: The Heart of the Matter

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At one point in the movie “Pretty Woman,” beautiful street hooker, Vivian (played by Julia Roberts) and multi-millionaire Edward (played by Richard Gere), upon discovering that they might be in love, are sharing an intimate moment during which Vivian reveals her heart to Edward by sharing with him how she […]

Sermon: Our Higher Angels

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When we lived in Wichita, Dr. Ron Brown was our physician. Now Ron was member of the church Diane and I grew up in, so he was also a longtime friend. Several years ago, during a routine annual physical, Ron found a little glitch with my blood pressure, which had […]

Sermon: Have Some Salt

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