You may recall that I love the poet Mary Oliver. I love the way she tells the truth about the world—its beauty, its ache, its ordinary holiness. She had this gift of looking directly at what is real and still finding, tucked somewhere inside it, a glimmer of wonder. There’s a poem of hers called Don’t Hesitate , that is fitting for Advent. It begins: If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. And she goes on: Joy is not made to be a crumb. Joy i

There is something about Advent that asks us to sit with holy discomfort. While the world is already singing carols, stringing lights, and racing through to-do lists, here in the church the tone is different. Advent is slower. Advent is spacious. Advent is honest. It asks us not only to remember that Christ came long ago, but to prepare our lives and hearts for Christ’s coming now — and Christ’s coming again. Last week, we heard Jesus in Matthew 24 speak unsettling words: Two

O God, Creator and Ground of All Being, We come together because we need you, We need each other, And we need to hear your Word.  And if we hear it here, may we be so possessed by it  That we become servants of it out in your world. We pray this in Christ who was, and is, and is to come. Amen.   It is told that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified on a cross between two other crosses, on each of which hung a convicted thief. One of the thieves joined in the chorus of an unruly cro

There are weeks when the lectionary readings feel uncomfortably close to home—like a “ripped from the headlines” TV episode. When Jesus talks about the destruction of the temple, the collapse of kingdoms, wars and uprisings, earthquakes, families divided, people betrayed—it can feel painfully familiar. There’s war and unrest. Political tension and distrust. People struggling to buy groceries or navigate a healthcare system that so often feels impossible. Families stretched to

When I dropped Mac off for daycare on Friday, Halloween, I have never met a room of more joyful 3- and 4-year-old boys in my life. This was because on this day, the boys weren’t just boys, but instead they were the Hulk, Spider-Man, Captain America, Batman, and a Ninja Turtle. The amazement with which they all took each other in—recognizing their favorite characters in the faces and on the bodies of some of their best buddies—was  so  joy-filled, so wonder-filled. The way the

Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt. This is how Luke introduces today’s story. Not, “to the Pharisees,” not “to the crowd,” not “to the disciples.” To “some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous.” Jesus has been moving back and forth in this part of Luke’s Gospel—sometimes speaking to the disciples, sometimes to the Pharisees, sometimes to the crowds. This time, the audience is inte

O God of all that is good, we come to you hungry, burdened, and uncertain. We come to you alone and together, by plan and by accident, or so it seems. And then you come to us, when we are alone and when we are together, and there is love. Let us feel your presence, that we might lay down our burdens and carry those of others, Let us hear your voice, that we might fill ourselves, and fill others, with your grace and strength. Let us know that we are blessed, that we may bless

Good morning, friends, and welcome—two-legged and four-legged alike. There’s something about gathering together with our companions, our...

O God of all Mystery and all Strength   We come together because we need you,   We need each other,   And we need to hear your Word.   ...

As an older millennial, it often feels like my whole life has been marked by “unprecedented times.” Columbine happened when I was in...

Recently, to my horror and surprise, Mac actively started using the word hate. When he’s frustrated with me or Thomas, or when he’s asked...

What if you thought of it as the Jews consider the Sabbath — the most sacred of times? Cease from travel. Cease from buying and selling....

God of all Hope and Expectation-- We come together because we need you, Because we need each other, And because we need to hear your...

Spoiler Alert: Most of the readings we heard read today circle around money, possessions, and greed. And it would be easy for me to...

Lord, teach us to pray—not just with words but with wonder. Help us rediscover what we’ve grown too familiar with. May the prayer we...

The parable is a favorite teaching vehicle of Jesus. He is a storyteller, and uses parables in order to embody his message to his...

God of love and mystery We come together because we need you, We need each other, And we need to hear your word. And if we hear it here,...

Each week, we begin our service with our collect—that is a prayer—that encompasses the themes of the time of the church year we are in,...

This is a repost of a previous blog, with more information about Living Stories preaching. If you were with us this week, you may know...

One of the best decisions my parents ever made on my behalf was when I was in third grade. Now, I want to preface this with a few...