Author Archives: reallifepastor

          Today we hear a tale of two blessings.  For one person, it was the best of times.  For the other, it was the worst.  One dared to ask God for a blessing; the other, we are told, “despised” his.  … Continue reading →

May 26, 2013                                                                        “Melchizedek”           Genesis 14:17-20; Hebrews 5:5-6; Psalm 110           So, today it begins!  The Life Stories sermon series where I’ll preach on biblical characters you have selected.  Have you seen the list?  It’s going to be an interesting … Continue reading →

          Are you phoning it in?  With your family…with your job….with your spiritual life…with church….  It’s Pentecost Sunday…which is why I’m asking:  Are you phoning it in?           Pentecost Sunday.  We usually go all out on Pentecost Sunday.  We invite … Continue reading →

          Our church theme this year is “Life Stories.”  As a way to engage the theme, I invited you to identify characters from the Bible about whom you’d like me to preach.  You did a good job!  I had heard … Continue reading →

          On the whole, have Christians helped your journey toward God or hindered it?When a radio interviewer asked poet Kathleen Norris, “Do you consider yourself a Christian?” Norris sighed and said, “My problem with that is that so many people … Continue reading →

          Peter has been busy.  Since preaching his first sermon at Pentecost, Luke tells us he’s been going “here and there among all the believers”sharing the good news and healing the broken in the name of the resurrected Jesus.  Today … Continue reading →

          Easter Sunday.  Or, as we’ve been calling it at our house, Easter Fry-day!  (As in French fries.)  Resurrection Day.  So….Do you believe in resurrection?  An annoying question, I know.  I mean, you’ve gotten all gussied up and come to … Continue reading →

          The crowds were divided about him.  Some hung on every word he spoke; others challenged every sentence he uttered.  Some had been healed by him; others felt threatened by him.  Some worshiped him; others plotted to kill him.  As … Continue reading →

          I hadn’t been to the farm in nearly a year.  It was good to see my grandfather, Pa Joe, sitting in his recliner on sun porch, the Sunday paper scattered on the floor around him.  After we’d visited awhile, … Continue reading →

I wasn’t much interested in the election of the new pope….until I saw his name:  Pope Francis. Francis…as in, Francis of Assisi, born into wealth, chose poverty and simplicity, loved the least of these–both human and creaturely, wrote two of … Continue reading →