Sermons on Spiritual Life (Page 5)

Christian Identity

What does it mean to be called by name by Jesus? To be asked to cast aside our worldly concerns to attend to the needs of others and become fishers of people. Our text today calls us to consider those very questions.

Wisdom Sayings

Each year, I collate all of the wisdom sayings that I have collected in the past 12 months and then share them with my congregation.  What follows, is only a sample of those wisdom sayings for 2023.

Miraculously Ordinary

Tonight, we hear the story of Jesus’ birth and the miraculous story of God choosing humble, ordinary people to be a part of this miraculous event.

Christmas Eve Reflection

As we journey with Mary and Joseph to the manger, we experience the miracle of Jesus’ birth through the witness of everyday laborers tending their fields nearby.

Here Am I

On this final Sunday of Advent, we hear the announcement to Mary that she will bear a son and her pause to this revelation. How can we connect to Mary in her time of question and discernment toward ultimately saying Here am I, Lord?

The Complexity of Joy

On this third Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of Joy and hear from the Gospel of John. We hear John bear witness of who Christ is through his litany of who he is not. In this text, we are reminded that we can let go of all the many things we are not knowing God created us as we are in all of our complexities. Including the complex nature of joy.

Keep watch

It’s the first Sunday of Advent, and we begin our journey of watching and waiting. We start a new liturgical year and reground ourselves in the presence of God and a reminder from Jesus to keep watch. So, as we begin our season of watchful waiting, what might we need to reprioritize or let go of so that we can focus on the present moment and not forget the reason for the season.

Parables as Subversive Speech: Who is the Hero of the ‘Parable of the Talents’?

Matthew 25:14-30 Parable of the Talents Year A Proper 28 – 25th Sunday after Pentecost I grew up, at times, relatively poor, in a post-manufacturing town in southeastern Michigan. My parents divorced when I was ten, and my mother, without even a high school diploma, and battling medical and psychological health concerns, struggled to find meaningful work. While I knew we had a safety net in my extended family, there was little money, and we received at times welfare assistance.…