“I am who I am in the eyes of God, nothing more and nothing less.” – Francis of Assisi, 12th century Dear Members and Friends, The past Sunday I presented the idea that the Beatitudes of Jesus which we find in Matthew 5:3-12 are actual guidelines for reality, especially for those of us who profess […]
One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and began to teach them. – Matthew 5:1-2 Nice words, aren’t they? God blesses those who are poor, who mourn, who are merciful, whose hearts are pure, who are humble, who hunger and […]
“Faith walks simply, childlike, between the darkness of human life and the hope of what is to come.” – Catherine de Hueck Doherty, 20th century Dear Members and Friends, It has been quite a week on the political front. In the seven days since his inauguration President Donald Trump has begun taking action to fulfill […]
Jesus said to them, “Come with me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.” -Matthew 4:19 (Preached on Sunday, January 22, 2017) One hobby which I have engaged in, mostly in the past, is fishing. And I say […]
“You are only as beautiful as the many beautiful things you do for others without expectation.” – Janelle Monae, 21st century Dear Members and Friends, As of 12 noon today, January 20, we have a new President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump. Whether you rejoice at his inauguration or whether you […]
(Preached on Sunday, January 15, 2017) The guest on the afternoon talk show was a body builder. During the interview, the host asked, “Why do you develop those particular muscles?” The body builder simply stepped forward and flexed a series of well-defined muscles from chest to calf. The audience applauded. “What do you use all […]
“The image of God is universally shared in equal portions by all humanity. There is no graded scale of essential worth. Every human being has etched in their personality the indelible stamp of the Creator. Every person must be respected because God loves them. The worth of an individual does not lie in the measure […]
But Jesus insisted. “Do it. God’s work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism.” – Matthew 3:15 (Preached on Sunday, January 8, 2017) The husband of the new minister opened the door of their home one Saturday afternoon. The young couple that greeted him giggled a little and […]
“…goodness is possible and abundant, despite all evidence to the contrary. We’re better collectively at publicizing and dwelling on the dark parts of life. We’re not as good at honoring and standing before the light that is interwoven with it. The potential to see it is always there.” – Kristi Tippett, 21st century “Gorgeous, amazing […]
“…for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” -Luke 2:11-12 (Preached on Christmas Eve, 2016) As the world usually counts significance, the […]