2003

Scripture: Luke 24:1-12 and John 20:11-18 Before I get to Easter, I have some unfinished business I have to attend to left over from last week.  It was Palm Sunday, and I said right at the beginning that it was important not to just skip from one celebration to another, from Palm Sunday to Easter, … Read more

Scriptures: Acts 3:1-9; 2Corinthians 8:8-15 This is a two point sermon. Many of my colleagues in ministry think that sermons are supposed to have three points, although I’m not really sure where they got the idea. In my schooling I was never told that sermons should have three points, and I always felt that the … Read more

Scripture: Exodus 1:18-25 A few weeks ago Lee Walters asked me if I’d like her involvement in planning the worship service for Mother’s Day, today. That’s one of those questions—like when Cathy Bollinger asked if it would be o.k. for her and Mary Gordon Hall to sing in church sometime—one of those questions that you … Read more

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8 I didn’t intend to do a standard sermon this morning, that is to occupy a 15-20 minute block of time in the middle of the service. When I heard that the Charlottesville Women’s Choir would be able to be with us in worship today, and that they would be up for singing … Read more

Scripture: John 15:9-17 This is Memorial Day weekend, and we will take time to acknowledge that occasion and whatever feelings may accompany it, during prayer time today. I want to begin the sermon though by memorializing someone who was not a soldier. On April 27 of this year, four weeks ago, a theologian died. Her … Read more

Scripture: Acts 1:1-11 I jokingly asked Ava what I should preach on this Sunday and she, I think jokingly, said, “Well, the last two Sundays you’ve preached on ‘Learning To Say No’ and then ‘Learning To Say Yes’. Seems like it’s time for a sermon on maybe.” I was tempted. “Learning To Say Maybe” is … Read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-13 My subject today is unmanageable. It’s unmanageable in the sense that most sermon topics are unmanageable, that is, it’s too large a topic to deal with in a few minutes on a Sunday morning. It’s unmanageable also not just in the sense that the topic is unmanageable but the reality is unmanageable, … Read more

Scripture: Luke 14: 25-33; Matthew 18:21-22 I knew, of course, that I would be speaking today just a few hours after the end of our workshop on dismantling racism. I have also known that although the workshop would certainly be fresh and foremost in my mind this morning, that it would not be the subject … Read more

Scripture: 1Samuel 17:1-11, 31-51 I often like to focus my preaching in the summertime around portions of the Hebrew scriptures, just step back and for no particular reason pick a particular book or a cycle of stories and stick with them over a period of several weeks. Two years ago, I did that with the … Read more

Scripture: selections from 1Samuel I need to beg your indulgence in a couple of minor ways today. First, I need to beg the indulgence of those whose biological rhythms are thrown off kilter by the fact that I’m starting to preach before it’s time to preach. It’s only…on the clock, the scripture hasn’t been read, … Read more