Category: Sermons

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Can I get a witness? …Or, perhaps, a community of solidarity?

    Hi friends, I don’t know that white folks’ voices should be front and center in the affirmative action conversation, but I will just say briefly that the SCOTUS decision harms us all. Black and brown kids deserve to be able to go to college. And colleges are better learning environments when they have a diverse…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • The body of Christ as spiritual fellowship

    This is sermon part 3 of 3! In it I offer some thoughts on spiritual fellowship. (Here are the first two parts, on shelter and nurture.) There are also a few brief general reflections at the end.  __ I don’t know if the words “spiritual fellowship” are words that most of us say on a…

  • The body of Christ as nurture

    This is part 2 of a sermon split into 3 parts. (The first one is here if you missed it.) The scripture passage is 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, and the theme is “shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the people of God.” This is the part reflecting on nurture: I think nurture, like shelter, can also be kind of a weird…

  • The body of Christ as shelter

    Two Sundays ago I got to preach at my church, Lake B, for the first time in person. The video is here if you’re interested in watching rather than reading it. I was struck by how different it is to preach in person as opposed to recording a sermon online. Among a supportive community, it’s…