Mark 6: 1-29 When I was in my 20s, I spent eight months working at a non-profit on Central American issues in Washington, DC. I went one time to a meeting on Capitol Hill in one of the office rooms. As the meeting went on, a slender woman smartly dressed with dark hair came and... Continue Reading →
The Frustrations and Limitations of An Aspie Pastor
As worship ended today, I felt a bit of frustration. I sometimes feel like I've failed to be a good pastor to my congregation. I think I've done the best that I can, but I also feel at times I'm failing them. It might be that I'm trying to live up to stories. Actually, it's... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Automatic for the People
What this has in common with our text today is that in our Christian walk, we are called to allow God to work in the world and trust that God is working things for the better. We have learn that faith is not all about us.
Sermon: The Way It Is
If we are aware of the world around us and we are aware of what God means for God’s creation, we will probably be angry at how the world is.
Sermon: Drop the Blanket!
Luke 2:1-20 Christmas Eve December 24, 2015 First Christian Church Mahtomedi, MN On December 9, 1965 something special happened. On that day 50 years ago, CBS first broadcast The Charlie Brown Christmas Special. I’ve done some reading on the special and it was unique for a lot of reason. First off, is the soundtrack.... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Yesterday Once More
Ezra 1:1-4; 3:1-4, 10-13 Third Sunday of Advent December 13, 2015 First Christian Church Mahtomedi, MN When I was back in my hometown of Flint, Michigan last spring, a memory came back to me as I went down a certain road. The memory was seeing those auto carrier trucks lumber down the road. The... Continue Reading →
Random Musings on Guns
The recent shootings in San Bernardino, California are a toxic mix of the fears of American society rolled into one: gun violence and terrorism. As the news about the event became known, it looked more and more that this event was not your run of the mill mass shooting (as if mass shootings are run... Continue Reading →
The Politics of Fear, Reconsidered
It's wrong to be hate another person for their religion. But God also looks down on pride, the sense that you are better than others because you are so righteous.
The Politics of the “Other”
The Lord is for me—I won’t be afraid. What can anyone do to me? -Psalm 118:6 In the aftermath of the Paris terrorist attacks, I've been watching with some disgust the number of governors who have said they won't take in Syrian refugees. The chances that one a refugee could actually be a terrorist is... Continue Reading →
Sermon: “Coexist?”
“Coexist?” 1 Kings 18:20-40 Twenty Fourth Sunday After Pentecost November 8, 2015 First Christian Church Mahtomedi, MN The scene is Mount Carmel. Thousands of citizens from the Northern Kingdom have trekked to this place to see a spectacle. Off to the side, they can see King Ahab and his wife Queen Jezebel seated on... Continue Reading →
The Clockwork Pastor 