Sunday, March 2, 2025 (Transfiguration Sunday) – Exodus 34:29-35, Psalm 99, 2 Corinthians 3:12—4:2, Luke 9:28-36 [37-43a] In 1999, I had the privilege of witnessing the birth of my niece, Anna Rachel. When Anna’s mother LeAnne went into labor, she invited me to be in the delivery room alongside her and my brother, Jeff. When […]
Sunday, February 23, 2025 – Genesis 45:3-11, 15, Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40, 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50, Luke 6:27-38 Jesus tells us that we should love our enemies and do good to those who hurt us. Has there ever been any more difficult teaching than this? I’ve seen an image going around in certain circles that shows
Sunday, February 16, 2025 – Jeremiah 17:5-10, Psalm 1, 1 Corinthians 15:12-20, Luke 6:17-26. In the Spring of 2009, I left my home in north Georgia and headed to Cullman, Alabama for five days of silence with a group of Benedictine nuns. I had previously spent silent days with both the Jesuits and the Trappists
Sunday, February 9, 2025 – Isaiah 6:1-8 [9-13], Psalm 138, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Luke 5:1-11 I have to confess, I’ve never been very interested in fishing. As a child, my brother often took rod and reel and went with our Uncle Richie, who just passed away a couple of weeks ago, to see what they
Sunday, February 2, 2025 – Malachi 3:1-4, Psalm 84, Hebrews 2:14-18, Luke 2:22-40 Last week I asked us to think about a question: How do we need God to show up for us and for the people we love and care about? I asked you to think about your children, your grandchildren, your neighbors, and
Sunday, January 26, 2025 – Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, Psalm 19, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a, Luke 4:14-21 Listen to the suffering of the people of Judah. First, their king and his family were forced into exile in Babylon. Then a few years later, when the great Temple was destroyed, almost all the Judeans were forced out
Sunday, January 19, 2025 – Isaiah 62:1-5, Psalm 36:5-10, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11 If you were watching television in the U.S. between 1966 and 1973, I could probably say a certain phrase and hum a certain tune and you’d know exactly what I was referring to. “Good morning, Mr. Phelps” and [then I hummed
Sunday, January 12, 2025 – Isaiah 43:1-7, Psalm 29, Acts 8:14-17, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 Most Sunday evenings, I have a standing date. Not with a man, but with a Masterpiece, the Masterpiece TV show on PBS that shows British dramas and mysteries, that is. I can’t get enough of them. I’ve often joked that I want
Tuesday, December 24, 2024 – Christmas Eve, Isaiah 9:2-7, Psalm 96, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 [15-20] Who is Jesus Christ? More importantly, who is he for us today? Titus tells us that Christ is the “hope and manifestation of the glory of God.” But to unknowing passersby, that tiny baby lying in a feeding trough,
Sunday, December 22, 2024, Fourth Advent – Micah 5:2-5a, Luke 1:46b-55, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-45 [46-55] I’ll never forget the experience of watching the chubby, frumpy middle-aged woman with an unflattering hairdo walk onto the big stage with the microphone in her hand. She had shared with the offstage hosts that she was 47, lived alone
