There is a phobia or syndrome whose name I’ve forgotten, in which anxiety is centered in the dread of a human structure collapsing. When looking at a bridge for example, or a tall building, the … [Read more...]
Baggage
I once served a church located on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. I don’t know if it is still true, but when I was there in the 1990’s there were a lot of homeless … [Read more...]
Not A Sermon
Today is the day. Thank you to Unsolicited Press for featuring this interview on their website. Since I am not preaching today, I invite you to follow this link for a more personal snapshot of me as a … [Read more...]
Imagination
Today we are going to challenge a popular understanding of “imagination.” Webster’s has three definitions: “…the ability to imagine things that are not real.” Or more specifically: “the … [Read more...]
Straddling the In-between
Text (sort of): Luke 2:22-40 We are straddling the in-between. Christmas has not ended but only the liturgical churches are still observing it. It is not the new year yet, but everyone is about … [Read more...]
Thunder in the Desert
TEXTS for PREACHING Isaiah 61:1-7 John 1:6-8 From “The Broken Body” by Jean Vanier Our brokenness is the wound through which the full power … [Read more...]
This is what democracy looks like!
IMG_0201 Technology problems kept me from posting in real time but here are a few images to offer a sense of what half a million PLUS felt like. So many people in so many cities and towns, and … [Read more...]
Healing
A Thank-You Note, by Michael Ryan For John Skoyles My daughter made drawings with the pens you sent, line drawings that suggest the things they represent, different from any drawings she — at … [Read more...]
MIDWIFE
This sermon has three time zones: way, way back; a few years ago; and now. Way, Way Back So picture this scene – it is a follow up to last week when I talked about Isaiah’s poetry … [Read more...]
A Rerun At The End of the World
Archived Sermon: 2012 If you were going to watch a movie starring, Steve Carell (star of “The Office”), and Keira Knightley (think “Pirates of the Caribbean”), wouldn’t you imagine it was a … [Read more...]