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When the Immortal Died

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  WHEN THE IMMORTAL DIED Mark 15:33-41 All my life, I’ve been a Baptist.   That’s how my parents raised me, and it is in this tradition that I have spent my life in ministry.   But, in some ways, it’s surprising that I’m not a Methodist.   John and Charles Wesley, the founders of the Movement, have captured my imagination for quite some time.   If you really know me, it’s not hard to see the influence.   My best friend in high school was named Wes.   For my master’s project and thesis, I chose to study Samuel Wesley, the remarkable but little-known son of Charles Wesley.   I even named my own son “Wesley” just in case I might be tempted to not finish my degree – I’d have to live with my failure the rest of my life.   John and Charles Wesley were the founders of Methodism in the 18th Century.   There is much more to their story than what I can share here.   John was the great organizer; Charles was the poet ...
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Freely Given

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  The Way of Jesus:  Freely Given Matthew 6:14-15   Introduction The message I am about to give to you is based on one that I wrote and delivered over ten years ago.  Proverbs 16:9 informs us that “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”  Like the series we are currently exploring regarding the Lord’s Prayer, I had planned to preach through Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount, for the church I was serving at the time. Well, the Lord certainly predetermined my steps!  On the week before I was to deliver the sermon on Christian forgiveness, my wife and I experienced the most traumatic betrayal from church leadership that we have ever known.  The timing of the betrayal and the sermon I was to preach was providential.  While my recovery from that trauma took many years, my deep dive into the nature of Christian forgiveness likely preserved my soul and calling in ministry.  What I will share with you was forged right in t...
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God of the Underdog

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  God of the Underdog I Samuel 1:4-20; I Samuel 2:1-10 Homily for 11/13/24   You and I, according to Scripture, are made in the image of God.  Into every human soul, God has hard-wired what one theologian calls “echoes of a Voice.”  Among those echoes are a yearning for beauty, relationship, spirituality, and justice.  Those human yearnings are unique among all of God’s Creation.  They demonstrate the distinctiveness of the human soul. I want to focus this morning on the yearning for justice.  No one has to teach a child the phrase, “That’s not fair!”  It seems to come naturally to us all.  And when we are the subject of injustice, we all rebel.  Rightly so.  Things are not the way they should be.  And so, we appeal to someone who can make things right.  That was the case with Hannah: I Samuel 1:4-20 (NLT) There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph in the hill country of Ephraim. H...
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God For Us

God for Us A Reflection on Psalm 146 November 6, 2024   In the providence of God, I find the selection of this psalm for this day after a national election to be simply amazing.   Did that fourth verse catch your attention?   Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there.    I am sure that there are millions of people across this country who are feeling despondent this morning because their candidate or candidates – their “powerful people” – did not win.   On the other hand, there are millions who may be feeling euphoric today because they are on the winning side.   Both perspectives are short-sided.   As the psalm reminds us, “When [our politicians] breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them.”   Instead, the psalmist puts his trust in God and lifts his spirit in praise.   Psalms 146 through 150 are all expressions of exuberant praise.   They all begin with ...
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