Sermon: Running to Stand Still

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time September 28, 2014 First Christian Church Mahtomedi, MN Listen to the Sermon. Where have you seen God today?   Last year, in the midst of getting my parents moved to their apartment, Daniel and I took a mini vacation around places in Michigan and Ohio.  We stopped at the Henry... Continue Reading →

Sermon: God Is Good?

Genesis 39:1-23 Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time September 21, 2014 First Christian Church Mahtomedi, MN Listen to the Sermon. Before we go into today’s text, some backstory.  Joseph was the son of Jacob who happened to be the grandson of Abraham.  He was the youngest of Jacob’s sons.  Being an only child, I’ve never totally... Continue Reading →

Corporal Punishment, Race and Adrian Peterson

Note: I need to say that this blog post is NOT an endorsement of corporal punishment.  The post is reflecting the some of the more complex emotions on this sensitive issue. When the news first broke about Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson being indicted for physically abusing his child, my “official” belief was that... Continue Reading →

Sermon: No Maps!

Genesis 12:1-9 Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time First Christian Church Mahtomedi, MN  Listen to this sermon. When I was a kid growing up in Michigan, I loved when we went on vacation.  We almost always drove to where we were going: Ohio to some of the amusement parks, Northern Michigan or Louisiana to visit my... Continue Reading →

Sermon: Let Jesus Be Jesus

Matthew 16:13-20 Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time August 24, 2014 First Christian Church Mahtomedi, MN I’ve always had an interest in superheroes.  Which is kind of odd, because I tend not to buy comic books or as they are now called, graphic novels.  I know friends that have boxes of comics from years past, but that’s... Continue Reading →

Sermon: Things Fall Apart

Genesis 45:1-15 and Matthew 15:10-28 Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time August 17, 2014 First Christian Church Mahtomedi, MN   How is your heart today?   You could answer that in two ways.  The first way is probably literal.  How are you doing healthwise?  Are you eating right?  Are you getting enough sleep?   As a... Continue Reading →

The Prosperity Gospel in Black and White

Last winter, I wrote a somewhat contrarian blog post on the Prosperity Gospel.  I never did endorse it, but I was trying to talk about the fact that for those on the lower economic margins that happen to think about money, they are more willing to talk about finances and how this relates to their... Continue Reading →

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