Musings on Faith, Culture and ADHD
There were these two guys walking down the road from Jerusalem. They were going to village named Emmaus. Jesus had risen from the dead and decided to join his friends, but he didn’t tell them who he was and his friends didn’t recognize him at first. They’re kind of sad that Jesus had died and now it was the third day when he said he would rise from the dead. His body is gone from the tomb and they don’t know where it went.
16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to abandon you, to turn back from following after you. Wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May... Continue Reading →
Okay, you probably didn't expect a pastor to use the word “sucks” in a sermon. You also probably didn't expect that I would say that being a minister is not always a bed of roses. However it's true. Being a pastor at times is exciting, but sometimes: yeah, it sucks.
This week's drama over the issue of same-sex marriage at the Supreme Court has been nothing short of historic. American society is at a point that I thought wouldn't come for several years, if not decades. Same sex marriage might be legal in most of the nation in a few short years. Here in Minnesota,... Continue Reading →
This is a sermon I gave at an ecumenical service in 2010. “A Tale of Four Marys” John 19:25 Good Friday April 2, 2010 Central Lutheran Church Minneapolis, MN When I was asked to speak on the three Marys, I have to be honest that nothing was immediately coming to mind. What could I... Continue Reading →
It's Holy Week, so that means I'm going to hear a number of pastors use their blog space to talk about how they don't buy atonement. They don't believe that Jesus died for our sins, they don't like using the cross which is considered a symbol of violence, they don't like the focus on blood,... Continue Reading →
I don't know when it happened, but at some point it became fashionable among both secular and religious progressives to bash the Catholic Church for basically everything under the sun. Since the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, I've heard a number of slams against the church including that it is old-fashioned, sexist, homophobic and the... Continue Reading →
I'm planning to write a post on Pope Francis and the reaction he's getting from progressive Christians. Until then, I share this sermon from 2004. It was written during a pretty challenging time in my life. “Waiting to Inhale” Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-16 Lake Harriet Christian Church Minneapolis, MN June 6, 2004 I... Continue Reading →
Ever since it appeared a few weeks ago, I've been thinking about John Vest's blog post called "The Vine is Dying." The Presbyterian pastor from Chicago has been involved in finding ways to help the Presbyterian Church (USA) rebound after decades of decline and his February 27 post was one borne of frustration with the... Continue Reading →
I'm preaching next Sunday and the gospel text is the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Bible Scholar Kenneth Bailey brings a different perspective of the famous story grounded in the context of Middle Eastern culture. h/t Michael Kruse
The Clockwork Pastor 