Category: Uncategorized
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“Life’s Little Disappointments”–Genesis 29:25
I’ve got to be honest here. I’m not sure if this story is meant to be funny or depressingly sad. I took the latter tack in this sermon. Maybe some other time, I’ll preach how awful this story is. The sermon is at the bottom of this post. 15 Then Laban said to Jacob, ‘Because…
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Sermon of July 10
“Esau: Like you but with poor impulse control” I’m not an economist–but I am very interested in the psychology of money and resources. I’ve discovered in my ministry that the key is not how many resources a ministry has but what kind of theology leads you to use the resources. The United States in the…
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Sermon of July 3rd–“A Practical Sermon for Impractical People”
My idea in this sermon is that Jesus’ ethical teaching is meant to be literally understood–following the powerful ethical writings of John Howard Yoder, Stanley Hauerwas and Glenn Stassen. In other words, the easy yoke of Jesus is a burden placed on us–and Jesus expects us to be able to joyfully bear that burden. The…
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Thursday Morning Update: Worship, Vacation Bible School, Emmanuel’s Emergent Experience
Good morning Friends of Emmanuel Church, First off this morning, I wish you all a safe and healthy holiday weekend. On Sunday, July 3rd, we will be worshiping God and celebrating our nation. Hymn sing starts this week–so I’m sure we can sing some patriotic hymns. The sermon is called : “A Practical Message for…
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Sermon for Emmanuel Reformed’s 191st Year: “You’re Only a Stranger Once”
Sunday was a pretty amazing service, with confirmation, communion, a fellowship meal, games and a display of two historical quilts: one from 1913 and one from 1980. It is amazing when you think about the history of a congregation, and even more amazing, when you think of the long history of the Christian Church. With…
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Sermons of June 12th and 19th–Pentecost and Trinity Sundays
Here are two sermons looking at the last two Sundays: First is an exposition of what I think might be going on at Pentecost and the second is an attempt to define a mission for the Christian Church in a way we can all understand. I hope that you will find these two sermons illuminating:…
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Sermon of June 5, 2011–“Rising Futures”
In this sermon I tried to wrestle with the account of Jesus’ Ascension in the Book of Acts–The Ascension is a ‘strange’ holiday; because we Protestants don’t usually celebrate it or perhaps because there are so few Ascension-specific rituals. I hope you enjoy this sermon: Rising Futures
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Sermon of May 29–“Signs of Spirituality”
The American Church is in trouble. At least according to the book UnChristian by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. People of my generation and under have left the church in droves, preferring a more generic ‘spirituality’. In my sermon, I wrestle with the idea of ‘Spirituality’ in the Gospel of John, Chapter 14, and along…
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Sermon of May 22–“Way, Truth, Life”
John 14 ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will…
Emmanuel Reformed Church of the United Church of Christ 