I think that one of the most profound phrases in all the scriptures can be found in our Gospel reading today. It is six, simple words: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” It is a humble, respectful request, made to the disciples by a group of travelers, people of Greek origin, who have apparently come a … More We Want to See Jesus
The new fence went in this past week around the playground at Trinity. It replaces the (quite ugly) temporary, plastic fencing that has been in place since the beginning of the school year. We put the fence in to fulfill a state licensing requirement, needed because the Trinity Nursery School was expanding its hours. We … More The Law of Love
I have been looking forward to this week’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew for weeks. Really, I have. For at least a month, we’ve been plowing away through these set of instructions that Jesus was giving to the disciples on what to do and how to act once He was gone. And truth be … More Patina
The power of water is an amazing thing to witness. Certainly, we saw that earlier this week. The heavy rains Thursday and the flooding between here and Rochester were a stark reminder of what water can do. At an earlier stage of my life, I spent a lot of time on the water, in canoes. … More Nope. Never Again.
I’m always curious about what people hear in the sermons their pastors preach. It is fascinating to me that one person will tell me how this one part of the sermon really spoke to them. But someone else will tell me that it was something completely different in the sermon that they needed to hear … More The Point of the Sermon
At their confirmation retreat a couple of weeks ago, our 10th graders had the opportunity to ask faith questions about things they were still wondering about. We discussed as many as we could, but I said that I would try and answer the questions that remained on my blog over the next few weeks. Here … More 10th Grade Faith Questions Part III
At this time of year, there is energy, and excitement: The school year is rolling Sunday School, confirmation and adult faith formation launch this next week Today, we’re sending a couple of hundred people out into the community to serve with our partner ministries We’re launching a brand new Wednesday night worship service And tomorrow … More Messy Relationships
Has there ever been something that you really, really wanted…or maybe even something that you needed…and you just couldn’t quite get there? Maybe it’s a goal…or a hope…but it’s something that you’ve really been working towards…and it remains, elusively out of your reach. I’ve experienced that. I’m sure you have too. In my college years, … More So Close
Test Driving Theology 