Text: Matthew 28:1-10 Sermon Excerpt Pam Driesell, a Presbyterian pastor, tells a story of her good friend Mary’s recent Easter experience. To make sure her four-year old daughter Elena really understood what Easter is all about Mary tried talking to her about it. "Mommy, will the Easter bunny bring me purple jelly beans?" I am sure he will bring you jelly beans, Elena. But, remember, Easter isn't about the bunny. It's about Jesus. "But will they be purple?" Yes, honey, I am sure Read More …
Jesus
Sermon: Competing Expectations (#1385)
Sermon Text: Matthew 21:1-11 Sermon Excerpt Scholars rarely agree on much of anything, but when it comes to Palm Sunday there is a general consensus that this is the beginning of the final week of Jesus’ earthly life – at least inasmuch as life had always been understood. If we lived back in this era, I think our individual decisions about whether or not to attend the parade would have been focused on our understanding of Jesus’ ministry up until this moment. We cannot really imagine Read More …
I Love Jesus Because (#1356)
Heidi Weaver, founder and president of LOVEboldly, recently shared her list of 16 reasons why the real historical Jesus is worthy of our love, including: because he is wild and passionate, zealous and out of line, unpredictable, defender of the defenseless, lover of the unlovable, friend of the most unlikely folks to receive anyone’s friendship; because he defied the meaningless and empty customs of his day in exchange for redemptive relationship, boundless mercy, and hospitality to Read More …
Sermon: Harder Than It Looks (#1350)
Sermon Text: Matthew 4:1-11 Sermon Excerpt Change is a given. It is also something most of us dislike – perhaps more than we are willing to admit. Who among us wanted the time to change last night? Why did we have to lose an hour of life, especially an hour of sleep? Why does something so small tend to become something we hold on to and complain about for days or even weeks? Who among us wanted church to shift from ordinary time to Lent? Why did we go from the liturgy we knew and Read More …
What Do You Call Yourself? (#1348)
Douglas Lobb, retired minister and former executive secretary of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, recently wrote about an increasingly challenging and vitally important term often used as a means of identifying oneself with the Way of Jesus: Christian (The Congregationalist, Dec. 2013, p.21-23). Relating his own experience, Lobb writes: In the light of today's Christian world, I find that I have great difficulty calling myself a Christian; because what is Read More …
Ask the “Why” Questions (#1345)
Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi - director of the United Church of Christ's Center for Analytics, Research and Data - recently wrote about the importance of asking "why" questions. She reminds us that Jesus was the master of using just the right why question at just the right time, and offers several examples including: Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? Why do you break the command of God for the Read More …
Review of Spiritual Awakening (#1274)
Meet the Author Tim van der Vliet is a former trader on the financial markets turned spiritual seeker. Adopting an irreverent eclectic approach to spirituality, he is now a full-time writer. Book Basics Spiritual Awakening (the easy way) is the sort of book one could read easily in half an hour or might opt to spend the better part of day pondering. van der Vliet proposes his own irreverent simplistic approach to spirituality in five easy steps: break free of our Read More …
Jesus Didn’t Say This (#1271)
Just over a week ago, Brian McLaren made the following Facebook post: Jesus did not say, "Blessed are the deserving poor," or "Blessed are the legally documented poor." The power of these brief phrases spread quickly, and led him to reflect on the response. So What? Rarely do we see the poor with the eyes of Jesus. Typically, we bring a good deal of baggage and many invalid or incomplete assumptions to the task of really Read More …
WWJND (#1206)
WWJD - What Would Jesus Do - was an incredibly popular theme during the 1990s. Jodi Detrick, recently shared that she has been thinking about a modification created by adding the letter N: WWJND - What Would Jesus Not Do. She explored the idea more fully in a chapter in her recently published book: The Jesus-Hearted Woman (2013). In that context she offers a list of things Jesus would not do, including He did not seek human popularity. (John 8:50) He did not pander Read More …
Sermon: The Best Sermon (#1196)
Sermon Text Matthew 5-7 Sermon Excerpt I begin in a way I never have before and likely never will again by offering a bold guarantee. I assure you that this morning's sermon will be the best sermon you will ever hear. With this in mind, let us pray . . . As those who seek to follow the way of Jesus, may his wisdom continue to be our guide. Take and use the words I will speak to empower our imaginations, awaken us to new possibilities, and embolden us in our actions. Amen. When Read More …