Epiphany 5 B: Jesus’ Ministry and Ours

Mark 1:29-39 Dear Partner in Preaching, True confessions: I have no idea whether this will help with your Sunday sermon this week, but… this is what I found most interesting, and I do think it bears on our common calling as pastors and preachers. First off… who knew Peter was married? Well, maybe you and I did, but I’m guessing that just about nobody in the congregation you’ll preach for this Sunday knew that Peter has a mother-in-law which, by implication, means he was married. J  Why does this matter? I kind of think most of our folks – and, truth be told, most of us – tend to think of the disciples as,...

Ministry in the Digital Age Feb26

Ministry in the Digital Age

If you’ve read just about anything I’ve written over the last few years, you will know that I’m keenly interested in how the church responds to the challenges and opportunities presented by living in the digital age. What do I mean by “digital age”? Well, various authors and thinkers define it in slightly different ways, but suffice it to say that it’s a world where we receive and increasingly share most of our information – which of course includes our thoughts and beliefs about meaning and identity – via digital platforms. All of which is why I’m so excited to invite you to hear a...

Luke 8:38-39

The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him. So they guy who had the demons driven...

High Flight: A Poem for My Uncle Jun23

High Flight: A Poem ...

I don’t know how it worked out this way, but I always seemed to get “stuck” at the dinner table with my uncles and father. It was summer, and we were gathered together at a cottage in Cooperstown, NY. The cottage had been bought by my great grandfather in 1906 and our families...

Mark 6:6b-13

Then he went about among the villages teaching. He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not...