Dave Buerstetta on striving to do justice and love others while walking humbly with God
Turns out Ash Wednesday was only [checks notes] three weeks ago. I don't know about you, but it sure feels to me more like three years ago. I mean, what a world we were living in way, way back in February. Think of all the things we did that month: I saw a movie...in a …
Merry Christmas! The closest thing I have to a tradition on this blog is this Christmas day offering. Each Christmas I post the Isaiah passage below (which is a reading for Christmas Eve worship every year); John Lennon's "Happy Christmas (War is Over)," which I find the world's best and most challenging Christmas song; and …
The short answer?Because I joined 99 other clergy -- two from each state -- in signing an open letter to Congress. That letter ran in Thursday's (October 17th) Washington Post. The more complete answer?I know there are hundreds (at least) of incidents of injustice in our communities, our states, our country, and our world. I …
I know today is Indigenous Peoples Day. But I started to write this last week on International Day of the Girl. Is it ok to celebrate women today too? I think so. It seems like a good time to share a post I wrote this summer for my church blog. As I often proclaim, I …
Then again, doesn't that pretty well describe a majority of blogging?? Probably in much the same way as, say, September 22nd is, apparently, National Hobbit Day, and March is, among other things, National Frozen Food Month...October is Clergy Appreciation Month. However, this year the church I serve decided to expand that idea and so declared …
From 8th grade through the end of high school, I was always in a school where one of my parents was a teacher. That's probably the main reason I never skipped a class in those years. Fast forward to college and, well, that record didn't last. But I didn't skip many or often because I …
Continue reading ‘She Who Laughs Last…’ a sermon on Genesis 18
This is probably a bit odd, but despite the sermon title, I never did make a connection between the temptations Jesus faced in chapter 4 of Matthew's* gospel and any of the recent TV shows that play on that theme. Boy howdy, did I make a slew of other references and winks, though. 'Cause, you …
Continue reading ‘Temptation Wilderness’: a sermon on Matthew chapter 4
Brevity. Not a quality for which many pastors are known. At least not when we're in preaching mode. We tend to like to talk. A lot. The truth is (at least in my experience both listening to sermons and giving them), a short sermon that is also a good sermon is much more difficult to …
Continue reading ‘We’re Related to…Them??’: a sermon on Matthew 1
I know it's New Year's Eve, but let's get in the WABAC Machine and set it for...one week ago. Way back when it was Christmas Eve. I don't know if you've heard, but Christmas Eve is kind of a big deal in (most) Christian churches. It certainly is in our congregation. Christmas Eve at Woodridge United …
Continue reading ‘Now for Something Completely Extra’: a Christmas Eve sermon
The fourth and final Sunday of Advent happened the day before Christmas Eve.* So it was already a challenge to separate Sunday's message from one to give the next day. Add on the bonus level challenge of the same scripture reading as Christmas Eve (Luke 2:8-20)...and the result is one confused preacher. Fortunately, I had …
Continue reading ‘Everybody Move’: a sermon on Luke 2 & ‘Go Tell it on the Mountain’
All That I Can't Leave Unsaid 