I’m not a Christian because it makes my life easier; to the contrary, it makes my life harder. It’s easier to fear than it is to love It’s easier to hold grudges than it is to forgive It’s easier to…
Using gender-neutral language for God
This month I am preaching each Sunday at the Rosedale Congregational United Church of Christ. The title of my sermon yesterday was “Good News of the Kingdom,” from Mark 1:15. Updated terminology. In the first part of the sermon I…
Rethink this church thing
Does your congregation exhibit kingdom of God characteristics? An oft-repeated television commercial captured my attention the other day. I watched people use a ribbon to see how far their money would stretch into retirement. Finally, one lady, surprised by how…
Your world is too small
Epiphany: why Jesus talked about children and we should too
Epiphany and the path to common ground I learned about the season of Epiphany from the book of Daily Office Bible readings I stole from the Episcopalians some thirty years ago. First, I wondered why the advent readings focused on…
Images of the Kingdom
By Aileen Lawrimore “I’m going to move over here by Ruby so she can hear me,” Edna said as she stood, stepping over so her voice would project directly into her friend’s ear. “How’s this?” she asked. “Can you hear…
Jesus and brain science agree: money kills empathy
Although you would never know it from listening to American preaching, Jesus linked poverty with the kingdom of God and affluence with sin. The text of the first sermon Jesus preached was taken from Isaiah 61: The spirit of the…
Reckoning with the children on our doorstep
By Alan Bean What do we do with the unaccompanied children, some say as many as 100,000, who have surrendered to American border officials in the last few months? Barack Obama speaks of a humanitarian crisis, but thinks fast-track deportation…
My wife and I are partners
When it comes to changing diapers, I wish my wife and I weren’t egalitarian, but we are. Our marriage is an equal partnership. We listen for God’s guidance together and apart. We communicate our needs and express our desires openly….