Sermon

A Vermont farmer was sitting on the porch with his wife. As he sat there, he started realizing just how much she meant to him. And it was about time—they had been married for forty-two years; and she had been such a huge help to him, a tireless worker, and […]

Sermon: Created to Praise

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In the first congregation I served, in Cleveland, there were these two extremely elderly gentlemen – both widowers – who would always sit together in worship on Sunday morning. I remember distinctly, in the middle pew section, just about six rows back from the chancel/pulpit. And I can see their […]

Sermon: RESTORING SABBATH

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zthe Cross
One of my college art professors at Wichita State University, who grew up on a farm outside of St. Louis, told me that the first time he drove into Kansas he was fascinated by the fact that all the trees and vegetation were leaning toward the north. “It really baffled […]

Sermon: Listening to the Wind

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Do you remember, when you were a little kid in school, out on the playground for recess or PE, and you were playing a team sport? And do you remember the playground politics involved in picking a team? There would be captains (usually the best players/natural leaders) who would chose […]

Sermon: Chosen

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When Diane and I moved into our house in New Mexico several years ago, we found a tangle bramble of twisted branches spanning half the length of the stucco wall that enclosed our backyard. Seeing it for the first time, I remember wondering, “What in the world is this contorted […]

Sermon: THE FAMILY VINEDRESSER

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A number of years ago, late one Saturday morning, I received a phone from one of the parishioners of the church I was serving in Cleveland, Ohio. It was Karen, a young mother of four small children, and she was just beside herself. She told me that her youngest child, […]

Sermon: The Shepherd’s Fold

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There was a fisherman who always seemed to bring home a boatload of fish, every time he went out. It was really amazing, and people wondered how he could be so successful at fishing. Well, the local game warden heard about this man’s uncanny success and asked, without mentioning he […]

Sermon: Recasting the Church

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An Ohio colleague tells the story of driving through Pennsylvania Dutch Country with his daughter and her seven-year-old son. And when they passed an Amish horse and buggy, his grandson’s curiosity was stirred. “Why do they use horses instead of cars?” he asked. His mother explained that the Amish didn’t […]

Sermon: Beyond Belief

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One of my fondest memories of childhood was the annual Christmas parade in Wichita, Kansas. Like most small Midwestern cities, the downtown would be all dressed up in greenery and garlands, banners and lights; and the Christmas shopping season would officially open with a grand procession down Douglas Avenue. We’d […]

Sermon: Passion Parade

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