Suffering and Loss

Experiencing the Sacred, Faith, Loss and Grief, Miracles, Mystical Experience, Ritual and practice, Sacraments and Eucharist, Sermons, Suffering and Loss, Transformation and Wholeness, Worship

With Burning Hearts

Sunday, April 19 – Acts 2:14a, 36-41, Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19, 1 Peter 1:17-23, Luke 24:13-35 There are moments in life when something shifts—not on the surface, but deep within us. We might not have words for it at first. We just know something is happening in the heart. A stirring. A warmth. A burning. And […]

Embodiment, Experiencing the Sacred, Faith, Healing, Hope, Impermanence and Change, Jesus, Loss and Grief, Miracles, Mystical Experience, Sermons, Spirituality, Suffering and Loss, Transformation and Wholeness, Vulnerability

With Just a Word: Embracing God’s Spirit of Hope and Renewal

Sunday, March 22, 2026 – Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 130, Romans 8:6-11, John 11:1-45 On this day, as we gather in worship, I invite you to open your hearts to a message of hope, of renewal, and of the quiet, unstoppable power of God’s spirit at work in our lives. Our readings today—Ezekiel’s vision in the

Forgiveness, Friendship, Healing, Hope, Love, Miracles, Politics and Culture, Relationships, Sermons, Spirituality, Suffering and Loss, U.S. Society

Drinking from the Same Well

Sunday, March 8, 2026 – Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 95, Romans 5:1-11, John 4:5-42 There is something deeply human about thirst. When we are thirsty enough, everything else fades into the background. The Israelites in our reading from Exodus knew that kind of thirst. They were in the wilderness, far from the familiar world they had

Experiencing the Sacred, Healing, Images of God, Life with Sheri, Loss and Grief, Mystical Experience, Ritual and practice, Sermons, Spirituality, Suffering and Loss, Transformation and Wholeness, Vulnerability

Transfigured by Light, Voice, and Touch

Sunday, February 15, 2926, Transfiguration Sunday – Exodus 24:12-18, Psalm 2, Psalm 99, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Matthew 17:1-9 For the last week or so, I’ve been in the grips of a great spiritual struggle. I share this because I want you to know that even those of us who serve in ministry roles or who

biblical interpretation, Christianity and Judaism, Faith, Healing, Hope, Ministry, Mission and Vocation, Politics and Culture, Power and Leadership, Relationships, Ritual and practice, Sermons, Sin and Redemption, Suffering and Loss, U.S. Society

How Should We Live?

Sunday, February 1, 2026 – Micah 6:1-8, Psalm 15, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 5:1-12 Our first reading today is a well-known section from the Book of Micah. Who was Micah? He was a minor prophet in the 8th-century BC from Judea, known for defending the poor against corrupt leaders and warning of God’s judgment on

Christianity and Judaism, Healing, Hope, Loss and Grief, Sermons, Sin and Redemption, Suffering and Loss, Transformation and Wholeness, Vulnerability

From Darkness to Dawn

Sunday, January 25, 2026 – Isaiah 9:1-4, Psalm 27:1, 4-9, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Matthew 4:12-23 Have you ever been in a place of complete darkness? Here in Bradenton, we’re surrounded by streetlights, building lights, and the constant glow of modern life. There’s so much light pollution that we rarely experience true darkness at all. Even

Experiencing the Sacred, Loss and Grief, Mystical Experience, Near Death Experiences, Politics and Culture, Sermons, Suffering and Loss, Worldviews and Cosmology

What Happens Next?

Sunday, November 9, 2025 – Job 19:23-27a, Psalm 17:1-9, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17, Luke 20:27-38 Introduction: Wondering About Life After Death Have you ever found yourself lying awake at night, thinking about what comes next after this life? Maybe you’ve lost someone dear to you and wondered where they are now. Maybe you’ve caught yourself

biblical interpretation, Dreams, Experiencing the Sacred, Healing, Images of God, Mystical Experience, Sermons, Sin and Redemption, Suffering and Loss, Transformation and Wholeness, Wrestling with God

The Struggle that Wounds – and Heals

Sunday, October 19, 2025 – Genesis 32:22-31, Psalm 121, 2 Timothy 3:14—4:5, Luke 18:1-8 As we gather around today’s readings, a powerful thread emerges: persistence. In Genesis, we encounter Jacob at a crossroads—wrestling not just with a mysterious stranger, but with his past, his fears, and ultimately with God. Out of this struggle comes blessing

Love, Mission and Vocation, Politics and Culture, Sermons, Spirituality, Suffering and Loss, U.S. Society, Worldviews and Cosmology

Showing Love through Courageous Truth

Sunday, August 17, 2025 – Jeremiah 23:23-29, Psalm 82, Luke 12:49-56 One mark of maturity is the ability to tell—and to hear—the truth. I’m reminded of that famous line from A Few Good Men when Jack Nicholson’s character yells, “You can’t handle the truth!” The truth can be painful. Today’s readings invite us into that

Experiencing the Sacred, Healing, Loss and Grief, Love, Mystical Experience, Sermons, Spirituality, Suffering and Loss, Transformation and Wholeness, Vulnerability

Everything Changes in the Light of Love

Sunday, May 18 – Acts 11:1-18, Psalm 148, Revelation 21:1-6, John 13:31-35 [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=\”\”]Have you ever had the experience of something that you initially thought was a bad thing turning into a good thing? When I lost my job at the University of the South during Covid in 2020, I was devastated. I didn’t necessarily

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