Last week we were treated to excellent content on the relationship between faith and science, first from Deacon Beth's column and then the music, prayers, and Pastor Jim's sermon in worship. In our youth ministries we spent the month of January examining that same relationship, utilizing the experiences of some of our congregation's scientists (THANKS …
The Gospel According to Thor #sermon
You might think that putting up a sermon is the easiest kind of post. I mean, really, the content is already created, how hard could it be? Yet, somehow, it never ends up being that easy for me. Once again, here it is Thursday and I'm just now posting my sermon from this past Sunday …
All Apologies
I screwed up yesterday. Twice. Within the span of an hour. Twice within one hour yesterday I had to apologize. Not a Seinfeld-ian darkly humorous, "I'm so sorry, George?" apology. Not a Better Off Dead-esque really darkly humorous, "Gee, I'm real sorry your mom blew up, Ricky" apology. Not a CYA, "I'm sorry if..." non-apology …
Match Game: a Christianity21 Quiz #c21denver
Last week I attended Christianity 21, an excellent and fun conference organized by the incomparable JoPa Group. It is a conference ostensibly offered for those of the (E)(e)merg(ing/ence/ent) persuasion. Whatever that means anymore. Based on my experience at this gathering, it means something along the lines of, "smart, compassionate, diverse people who want their Christian faith …
Continue reading Match Game: a Christianity21 Quiz #c21denver
God in the midst
It seems to me that a lot of us relish these days after Christmas. As much as we might love gathering with family, exchanging gifts, and sharing meals, there is often as sense of relief that, as we often say, "we made it through" the holiday. We breath a collective sigh of relief and relax …
Happy Christmas 2013
Merry Christmas! It's my Christmas day tradition to post this Isaiah passage (which is a reading for Christmas Eve worship every year), Lennon's "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" (the world's best - and most challenging - Christmas song), and a lighter second song that changes each year. You're welcome. 😉 Isaiah 9:2-7: The people who …
Changes for the Holidays
"One word can bring you round" To say that change is difficult is no kind of insight. We know this is true. Yet change comes to us all and sometimes even proves to be a Good Thing. This fall our wonderful partners at the West Suburban Community Pantry changed how they distribute food boxes at Thanksgiving …
Honest talk about guns
This may come as a shock to many of you, but sometimes I don't know what to say. (Then again considering how infrequently I've posted here, perhaps that isn't so shocking.) Saturday is the one year anniversary of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and I don't know what to say. …
SOS aftermath
We participate in Sleep Out Saturday to raise awareness about homelessness in DuPage County - and to raise funds to help end it. As I wrote recently (here and here), SOS is a way to be in solidarity with our homeless population. SOS creates visceral evidence that those who are homeless are included in that …
Sleep Out (in solidarity) Saturday
"Everybody belongs," I said on Sunday. That phrase comes from a teaching by Father Richard Rohr, but also, once again, calls to mind MLK's brilliant, under-valued recapitulation of the gospel: "We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality... Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." Lots of ways to express that thought: We are …
All That I Can't Leave Unsaid 