The Story That
Changed Everything

written on their hearts: a sermon on a reading from jeremiah 31

the reading Jeremiah 31:31-34 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the...

take up your cross: a sermon on a reading from mark 8

the reading Mark 8:31-38 Jesus began to teach his disciples that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,...

astounded and amazed: a sermon on a reading from mark 1

The Reading Mark 1:21-28 Jesus and his disciples went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he...

what makes Christianity different from other world religions?

Don't all religions really just point to the same god? It's easy to see why people would wonder. But they don't point to the same god. In fact, the gods are all quite different,...

while you are waiting: a sermon on a reading from 2 peter 3

Note: This sermon was delivered during the Eucharist for a class of ministry students studying for ordination to the diaconate, using the readings for Advent 2, Year B. the...

#thatsmyking: a sermon for Christ the King sunday

https://youtu.be/Au_dzPaiPyg?si=nBp84p4M-7F0bW2e This is the last week of a season in the liturgical calendar that we call “ordinary time.” The Episcopal Church defines Ordinary...

jesus stands for stephen: a sermon on a reading from acts 7

The Reading: Acts 7:55-60 Filled with the Holy Spirit, Stephen gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see the...

a prayer for businesses in your community

I was recently asked to pray at the opening of a Board of Directors meeting for my local Chamber of Commerce. It was my first meeting as a board member, which was also the first...

a psalm of david, when he fled from absalom his son

I'll be honest. Just writing this stuff on how to lament is tough. I've gotten feedback as I share on this topic that some people just can't relate. Some prefer to focus on the...

lament: a perspective on sadness in the bible

Wanna know something that drives me crazy? Happiness. Not all happiness. I’m very pro-happiness. I just don’t like fake happiness. You know, the kind people show you at church...

Jesus is like topsoil [4 thoughts about our relationship with Christ]

I'm a sucker for a good simile. Especially ones that help me understand my faith. Statements like, "Jesus is like a [blank]," help us to understand various characteristics of his...

9 songs that inspire my christian faith

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." -- Plato These are some insightful words from Plato. And he had never...

the #codexinstagramus initiative: a bible photography project

What if you could only use pictures to tell the story of the Gospel? I've been thinking a great deal about Luke, the writer of his Gospel and the Book of Acts. The influence of...

carrying christmas

My husband and I will celebrate our 42nd wedding anniversary on Wednesday. On Friday, I'll remove my diamond rings. Not to worry, though. It's only temporary. I've had my flu...

7 key nicene and post-nicene fathers [INFOGRAPHIC]

The time around, and shortly after, the Council of Nicaea in 325 was a wild time for Christianity. The Roman Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in 313 through the Edict...

3 things i’m learning from being on church staff

The first eight months have gone by really fast. And in that (short) time, I've been learning a lot in my first job being on church staff. I've done a lot over the years in a...

caring for the sick [an #activistfaith guide to the pandemic]

When you're in the midst of a global pandemic, caring for the sick isn't likely the first thing on your mind. Most of us are thinking about our own survival, whether it's with...

how to be life-giving through gifts-based ministry

Note: The article Life-Giving through Gifts-Based Ministry was originally written for a series called "What My Church Does Well" for The High Calling (now at Theology of Work...

a pregnancy of the heart (our story of saying “yes” to #adoption)

She loves to be tickled. When most kids would squirm and ask you to stop, my one-and-a-half-year-old daughter giggles, “Tickle, Daddy!” as if she wants more. I love those moments...

the #activistfaith voter guide to the presidential elections

I'm pretty much over the drama with the current election cycle. Is it just me, or are the presidential elections getting to be more hateful and divisive? And it doesn't stop with...

after three years in jail, this guy has an (awesome) dream for his community

Overcoming the impacts of poverty requires the breaking of cycles. And that's exactly what Alexis Quintero is doing. He runs a store in his community in Casco Viejo, Panama where...