Year: 2001

Scripture: Psalm 131; Isaiah 30:15-18; Mark 1:1-11. Well, so it’s a new year, a new millennium…at least for those of us who think in terms of the western Christian calendar and who don’t care that for Jews this is the year 5761, for Moslems 1421, and that it’s something else for the Chinese and again … Read more

Scripture: Mark 8:27-29; Mark 1:21-28, 31-35. I thought we should talk about Jesus. At least I’m going to talk about Jesus in my sermons in the weeks ahead, for the forseeable future. Meanwhile a few of us will be studying the gospel of Mark, and talking about Jesus quite a bit there. I just thought … Read more

Scripture: Mark 1:35-39; Mark 1:9-15; John 3:1-10. I want to begin today where I left off last week. Maybe I sort of acted like I was done with the sermon last week, but I wasn’t. I knew I wasn’t. In fact most sermons are not really done. You just find a place to stop. Because … Read more

Scripture: Mark 2:1-12. Forgiveness…is one of those topics that’s way too big to talk about in a few minutes on a Sunday morning. Of course, that’s true of anything worth talking about; you can’t really say very much in a sermon space. So that’s a dilemma we’re sort of stuck with as far as sermons … Read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48; Romans 12:9-21. The idea of loving your enemy comes, of course, from Jesus. We heard it again this morning as part of the reading from Matthew. Those of us here at Sojourners, all but the newest visitors here, have also heard one of our own members, R.G., express this need as a … Read more

Scripture: Isaiah 25:6-10; Luke 14:7-24. Those who were here for the Ash Wednesday service a few days ago heard the scripture from Luke then. We got to warm up on this passage a little bit anyway. Let me begin though not with my interpretation of this passage from the Bible (I’ll get to that), but … Read more

Scripture: Luke 16:19-31. I was talking last week about the story Jesus told about the wedding banquet, how he used that example to talk about what the reign of God would be like. You want to know about the reign of God? Well, it’s a little like… What I left out of the picture last … Read more

Scripture: Mark 4:1-32. First of all I want to thank Janet for her words last week. I know they found receptive soil here, because some of you have told me that you appreciated what Janet had to say. Normally, you would have been able to tell her directly, but we’re doing this act where we’re … Read more

A Meditation. Scripture: Psalm 85 and Isaiah 61:1-16. The sermon this morning will be short, informal, and interactive. I am going to say a few words to describe some concerns that I want to bring to you—and to God—this morning. Then there will be a brief time of silent reflection, for you to gather your … Read more

Easter Sunday Scripture: John 20:1-18. As I was beginning to prepare this sermon, I had a vision of this moment—this moment when I stand up here and look out at your faces and wonder what you are expecting to hear from me. We have a story. We are all here in a way because of … Read more