Earth Day The text is John 10:10-16. It does not seem like an Earth Day text. It’s about thieves and hired workers and wolves and the good shepherd. Shouldn’t we be contemplating the story of creation found in Genesis—God looked on all that God made and blessed it and call it good. Or Psalm 8… Read more Worship Reflection Sunday, April 21, 2024
I Corinthians 8:1-2 “Knowledge Puffs Up, Love Builds Up” “Knowledge puffs up; love builds up” If that’s true, this old world needs a whole lot more loving and a whole lot of less puffing. The Kansas ACLU says: “Our criminal justice system punishes poverty, mental illness, and substance abuse while creating a cycle of harm… Read more Worship Reflection Sunday, February 4, 2024
“The Social Currency of Meals” Let’s begin by reviewing what we just heard in I Corinthians, Chapter Eight. The issue: food offered to idols. The question is whether people can eat this food or not. We have heard the expression “You are what you eat.” The question is will eating “unclean” food, food offered to… Read more Worship Reflection Sunday, January 28, 2024
Claim the Promise The reading for today is from the second chapter of Luke. We learn from this reading that the Law of Moses requires Mary to take Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem and present him to the Lord to be consecrated. This is according to the law of Moses. Mary and Joseph are… Read more Worship Reflection Sunday, December 31, 2023
Peace Is The Way John is a voice crying in the wilderness “Prepare the Way of the Lord.” Preaching the message of repentance and the forgiveness of sins. Surely this is not the way of the world. The way of the world teaches us that might makes right. The winner takes all. If history is… Read more Worship Reflection Sunday, December 10, 2023
“Unshakeable Love” November 11, used to be called “Armistice Day.” because on November 11, 1918, at 11:00 in the morning, the guns on the Western Front fell silent. It was the first step toward ending World War I. When I was in grade school, if November 11, was on a school day, we all stood… Read more Worship Reflection Sunday, November 12, 2023
Thoughts on War and Peace Events in Palestine and Israel weigh on our hearts as we meet here today in worship. In response to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, Israel has unleashed a bombing attack on Palestine that has been compared to the bombing of Dresden in World War II. Aljazeera reports… Read more Worship Reflection Sunday, October 22, 2023
“We Are In This Together” C. K. Chesterton, an Englishman, was a well-known writer at the turn of the last century. He famously described the United States as “the nation with the soul of a church.” He did not mean that the United States was holier than any other nation. He did not mean that… Read more Worship Reflection Sunday, July 2, 2023
“Our Inclusive Church” Today is our 57th anniversary. Wow. That’s what Sally and I say when we think about this. Wow. It has been a great and wonderful journey together. We were married for about six years before we decided to have children. Before we took that big step, I called my older sister, Annette.… Read more Worship Reflection Sunday, June 18, 2023
“Navigating a New Creation” The lazy, hazy crazy days of summer that Nat King Cole sang about in my youth are here again. So grab an ice tea, or a fishing pole, or your golf clubs and kickback. Next week, in fact, we will do just that when we go to the park to join… Read more Worship Reflection Sunday, June 4, 2023