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Keep listening and don’t give up (a sermon on the Transfiguration, Luke 9:28-36)
Hi friends, I wanted to share with y’all a sermon I got to guest preach last weekend. It’s on the biblical story of the Transfiguration, with the current U.S. political context very much in mind. Working through this text helped me see some glimmers of hope in a difficult time, and I hope it might…
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Feminist reflections on the resurrected Jesus (a sermon on Luke 24:36b-48)
Hi friends, Last month I had the great joy of being warmly welcomed into a new-to-me church to speak. Plus I got to take a ferry ride to get there, and meet Oscar the Bird King after! At the gracious suggestion of the pastor who invited me to preach, I spoke quite a bit from…
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Who’s turning over some tables already? A sermon on John 2:13-22 (part 2)
Hi friends, Last week I shared the first half of a sermon on John 2:13-22, imagining what it might have been like to be among the crowd of folks coming to the temple to worship, when all of a sudden, Jesus starts turning over tables. Here’s part 2! ____ I wonder what kinds of perspectives…
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What’s this dude doing? A sermon on John 2:13-22 and Jesus turning over the tables (part 1)
Hi friends, I recently had the chance to preach a guest sermon on John 2:13-22, the passage where Jesus flips over some flippin’ tables. Here’s the story, as the NRSV translation tells it: 13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling…
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The directions God is always moving (still more of a sermon on Acts 10:1-23)
Hi friends, For a couple weeks now, with the exception of a book launch announcement (woohoo!), I’ve been sharing parts of a sermon I got to preach recently on Acts 10:1-23. The first part is here, and it’s about being open to growth and learning, even after we’ve been on a journey for a while…
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It’s okay to be baffled: (more of) a sermon on Acts 10:1-23
Hi friends, This week I want to share with you the second of three reflections from a sermon I got to preach at my church a few weeks ago. (The sermon is here if you prefer to watch/listen; the first reflection is here. The scripture text is Acts 10:1-23.) — Peter is on a journey…
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What are you currently learning? (Part of) a sermon on Acts 10:1-23
Hi friends, I recently got to preach at my church on Acts 10:1-23. Peter and Cornelius, what a story. I’d encourage you to take a look at the passage here. The church service is also recorded here (and the sermon starts here around 56:53). The way I see it, there are three main thoughts that…
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Doubting in Community (a sermon on John 20:19-31, part 2)
Hi friends, Last week I posted the first half of a sermon on “Doubting Thomas.” This is the second half! ___ I noticed something else, too, when reflecting on this passage—something I hadn’t really thought much about before. I noticed that there’s a whole week in between when Jesus appears to the first group of…
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Permission to Doubt (a sermon on John 20:19-31, part 1)
Hi friends, I was thankful to be able to guest preach a couple weeks ago at Normandy Park United Church of Christ. I thought I’d share a written version of the sermon here, too. Because I feel like I benefited from having to think a lot about Thomas, and faith, and doubt, and “believing without…
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Peace to be fearless
Hi friends, This Easter week has me thinking about what most of Jesus’ disciples did, as recorded in John’s gospel, right after Jesus’ resurrection. Just that morning, Mary Magdalene found the tomb empty and then saw the risen Jesus (looking a lot like a gardener; John 20:11-18). And now the disciples have gone and locked…