Author Archives: reallifepastor

Today begins our season of Stewardship.  It’s a time when we reflect together on our mission as a community of Jesus’ followers and how we’re going to support that mission in the coming year, particularly with our financial gifts. Our stewardship … Continue reading →

Karl Barth once said that when writing sermons, the preacher should hold the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.  Doing that is a little dicey with today’s text.  When you read Jesus’ statement that “anyone who … Continue reading →

  Anybody feeling hopeless today?  The Supreme Court.  The UN Climate report.  The Florida panhandle recovering from Hurricane Michael.  Residents of our own state still recovering from Hurricane Florence.  People in Indonesia continuing to recover from the typhoon.  Racism.  Sexism.  … Continue reading →

The title of today’s sermon is:  “Intersectionality, Ubuntu, and the Image of God.”  I told you I couldn’t wait to hear the sermon that would go with that title.  🙂  For those who weren’t here last week, the title of … Continue reading →

It’s been an intense week.  On Tuesday, Bill Cosby was sentenced for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman.  Two days later Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee about her allegations of sexual … Continue reading →

  (Astronaut Ricky Arnold snapped a photo of Hurricane Florence from the International Space Station.NASA) I looked at Earth— it was chaos and emptiness.  I looked to the heavens— their light was gone. I looked to the mountains— they quaked, … Continue reading →

Have you ever been in a place where you didn’t feel like you were being seen?  Like people were looking past you…or were looking at you but wishing you were something or someone different from who you are? Have you … Continue reading →

So…did you enjoy playing God?  What power!  “Let there be light!”  And there was light!  Let there be sky, land, sea, animals, creepy crawly things…and there were!   Our sacred Scriptures begin where the sacred texts of most religions begin–with … Continue reading →

Did you hear?  Back in May, 14-year-old Karthik Nemmani of McKinney, Texas won the Scripps National Spelling Bee.  His winning word?  Koinonia!  Koinonia wins! Initially, I thought I’d share with you some of the other words spelled and missed in … Continue reading →