His Eye is on the Sparrow
His Eye Is on the Sparrow Fathers’ Day Genesis 21:8-21 Matthew 10:29-39 Are any of you “birdwatchers”? I guess all of us are, to one degree or another, because we notice birds. But can you imagine anyone ever saying, “Oh, look! There’s a sparrow!”? It just doesn’t happen. Sparrows are small and brown and common—almost beneath our notice. After all, it’s the rare birds, the colorful birds that grab our attention and make us say, “Oh, look! See that bird?!” In similar…
Our Three in One God
Our Three-in-One God Trinity Sunday Genesis 1:1-5 Matthew 28:16-20 Have you ever been to a circus? I like watching the tight-rope walkers. They do amazing things while traversing a cable that has been strung between two posts—a cable that is under tremendous tension. Both posts are trying to pull the cable in opposite directions, and that is what makes a tight-rope tight—makes it possible to walk on it. Circuses don’t have “loose-rope” walkers—it just wouldn’t work. The tension is what makes tight-rope walking possible.…
The Spirit Gives Variety
The Spirit Gives Variety Pentecost Acts 2:1-21 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 Years ago, I was serving a church in north Idaho. There was a man in our church, Clayton Stoltz, who came to worship every other Sunday. Sometimes he would apologize for missing church so frequently, but he had an appointment with the Alzheimer’s men in the nursing home. Every other day, he would take his shaver and shave these men, while a stream of conversation flowed (even if he was…
Christ’s Prayer for Us
Christ’s Prayer for Us 7th Easter Acts 1:6-14 1Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 John 17:1-11 In C. S. Lewis’ book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the Pevensie children have stumbled into the land of Narnia. It is winter, and has been for a long time (but never Christmas!), because the evil witch that rules the land likes winter. The children are told an ancient prophecy: Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight, At the sound of his roar, sorrows will…
Created for Love
May 17, 2020 Created for Love 6th Easter 1 Peter 3:13-22 John 14:15-21 How do you feel about obedience? What do you do when you are told to obey? I would like you to imagine that you have been placed in a BIG playfield. Everywhere you look, there are inviting places to play. There is equipment for all ages, all ability levels to enjoy, and there are open fields with smooth grass just begging for all kinds of ball games. The place is…
A Glimpse of God
A Glimpse of God Mothers’ Day 5th Easter Acts 7:55-60 John 14:1-14 Years ago, before he was a popular author and speaker, Tony Campolo was an associate pastor in a church. On Mothers’ Day, he was supposed to read from Second Timothy, chapter one, which includes these words: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind…
Trustworthy Shepherd
Trustworthy Shepherd 4th Easter Psalm 23 John 10:1-10 Have you ever been a shepherd? How about a pretend shepherd in a nativity play, all dressed up in an old bathrobe with a piece of cloth on your head and a tall staff in your hand? In our church family, not many of us have ever actually tended sheep, but the lexicon of our faith is rich with shepherds! In the Old Testament, we have some big characters who tended sheep. Moses was tending…
Beginning a New Chapter
Beginning a New Chapter 3rd Easter Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Luke 24:13-35 During this time of quarantine, I have read a lot of comments saying something to the effect of, “When this is over, I’m going to be living differently from what I was before.” Instead of just “getting back to normal,” many folks are going to be intentional about taking what they’ve learned and using it from now on! Yes, we can step into a new way of living! I was reminded of…
Imperishable
April 19, 2020 Imperishable 2nd Sunday of Easter 1 Peter 1:3-9 April 19, 2020 John 20:19-31 I’ve always been a “people watcher.” In the days when we were able to be out in crowds, I would observe how people behave and talk and relate to others. One phenomenon I have observed countless times is that of a child carrying something precious but doesn’t want to be in charge of it at the moment. They bring it to Mom or Dad or…
Resurrected with Christ
Resurrected with Christ Easter Sunday Colossians 3:1-4 John 20:1-18 In the middle of the pandemic and all its heartaches and losses, I find myself taking immense pleasure in watching the crocuses and daffodils and hyacinths pop out of the ground and start sharing their cheerful colors! As much as I enjoy winter and snow and the bracing cold, I have been ready for spring, excited to go outside without a coat and smell the fresh earth and hear some birds singing! Seeing…
The Humble Conqueror
The Humble Conqueror Palm Sunday Philippians 2:5-11 Matthew 21:1-11 Mike and Barbara Weber were practically newlyweds when the Nazi army overran their village. Mike was given two choices: 1. Join their army, or 2. Be killed. He joined them, and fought half-heartedly beside them until the war was over. On VE Day, Mike was far from home, and he was in territory that the Russians controlled. Everyone knew of the horrors that awaited them if they surrendered to the Russians,…
From Theory to Practice
March 15, 2020 From Theory to Practice 3rd Lent Romans 5:1-11 March 15, 2020 John 4:5-42 Anyone who has been around church for awhile knows most of the basic theory of Christianity—love your neighbor as yourself, feed the poor, visit the sick and imprisoned, love God with all your heart, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. We know the drill, and we can talk about the theory, the precepts all day long—but it’s the practice that sometimes has us stumped. If you wanted to…