I can’t believe I am not going to preach directly from the story about Jesus enjoying a hot oil massage. But as sensually brilliant as that story is Isaiah brings us to the edge of another, even more … [Read more...]
Jesus wants you to eat with the people your mother told you to stay away from
Our earliest memories live in a cloudless chamber safely preserved from the corrosive effects of later experiences and subsequent memories. One of mine is going to my father’s office. I was the … [Read more...]
The Core
‘They’ say – the famous ‘they’ – that most preachers only have three or four sermons and that every sermon is a riff on one of those core sermons. Even the greatest of preachers – ‘they’ say … [Read more...]
Trust – the last best option
“Finding the Right (Person)” by Rabbi Marc Gellman, from “Does God Have A Big Toe: Stories about stories in the Bible.” “Most people do not realize it, but God put in calls to other people before … [Read more...]
Don’t Fret the Decline of Church, It’s Good for Christianity
We all know this church has been in decline and for many years has been shrinking. I am new and an outsider so I only know what you tell me about why the decline has taken place here. But I want to … [Read more...]
“Hang-time with Jesus,” or, “Do Nothing Theology”
I knew her as a member of a suburban congregation. Most of the people in that tight-knit church community did not even know her by name because she only came to the early worship and didn’t … [Read more...]
Love and French Fries
Sometimes a theme in the lectionary readings is obvious and sometimes we have to go digging. Sometimes I don’t care. But today it hit me that the committee behind the curtain must have been … [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...]
SECRETS!
Dear Subscribers, Followers, and Friends of subversivepreacher.org, I have secrets! Please don’t tell anyone because this is just between you and me, but very soon there will be an announcement … [Read more...]