Posts Tagged ‘sermon’
Book Review: The Hunger Games Trilogy
Posted by: revjmk on: May 5, 2012
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Scholastic Press, 2008, 384 pp. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, Scholastic Press, 2009, 391 pp. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, Scholastic Press, 2010, 400 pp. I needed escape reading during the last month’s intensity of Holy Week, tornado recovery and moving into our newly renovated church building. I wanted a [...]
Tornadoes, God and God’s People
Posted by: revjmk on: March 12, 2012
- In: Ministry Moments | Sermon
- 4 Comments
Exactly ten days ago, deadly tornadoes rolled through our region. Since noon that Friday, when my son’s school announced an early closing, every plan, task and to-do list has been tossed aside. Our town is just a few miles from Henryville, Indiana, which took a direct hit from an EF4 tornado. Our congregation has families that [...]
Ash Wednesday Sermon
Posted by: revjmk on: February 26, 2012
- In: Sermon
- 2 Comments
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10 The apostle Paul writes with some dizzying logic sometimes, doesn’t he? He calls those of us who follow Christ “ambassadors of reconciliation,” but then he goes on to leave a trail of irreconcilable contradictions about how we reconcilers are seen in the world. “We are treated with honor and dishonor, verbal [...]
Book Review: Love Wins
Posted by: revjmk on: April 28, 2011
Love Wins: A Book about Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, by Rob Bell, HarperOne, 2011, 202 pp. Last Easter, a friend of mine used Rob Bell’s inspirational sermon from sometime around 2006, which was originally called “The Cross,” but soon became known as “Love Wins.” (You can purchase it [...]
Sermon Sapling: Lent 1A — Fasting is Making Room for God
Posted by: revjmk on: March 9, 2011
Highlighted Passage: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Matthew 4:1-11 “Call a fast… call a fast… call a fast…” Over the last few months, these words have come as a whisper to me in quiet moments of prayer and harried hours. They have been a summons and an invitation, a demand and a relief. I recognized their source [...]
Sermon Sapling: Epiphany 8A — In the Palm of God’s Hand
Posted by: revjmk on: February 27, 2011
Highlighted Passage: Isaiah 49:8-16 Speaking in God’s voice, Isaiah writes: “I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands. Your walls are continually before me.” It’s such a familiar, ordinary kind of image. “I won’t forget—see? I wrote it down right here on my hand.” What do you [...]
Sermon Sapling: Epiphany 7A — Building on the Foundation
Posted by: revjmk on: February 17, 2011
Highlighted Passage: 1 Corinthians 3:10-23 I have always been fascinated by the construction of cathedrals. In the Middle Ages, when the cardinals of Europe were competing with one another to build the most magnificent edifice, craftsmen and laborers used the simplest of tools to build these spectacular buildings. Construction provided employment for hundreds, if not [...]
Sermon Sapling: Epiphany 4A — What Does the Lord Require of You?
Posted by: revjmk on: January 29, 2011
Highlighted passage: Micah 6:1-8 (My church is in the heart of a major capital campaign right now, so that experience definitely colors my reflections on this week’s text. So did my reading of Amy Oden’s commentary at workingpreacher.org, which offered helpful context information and many ideas that influenced this writing.) Usually, we see the famous words of Micah [...]
Sermon Sapling: Epiphany 3A — Put Down the Nets
Posted by: revjmk on: January 19, 2011
Highlighted Passage: Matthew 4:12-23 Put down your nets—you’re after the wrong fish. When Jesus approached those would-be disciples on the shores of the Galilee, they were doing what they had done every day, probably since they were young boys—climb into boats, row out into the Sea of Galilee, cast out nets to catch fish, haul [...]
Sermon Sapling: Epiphany 1A — Called to the Promise
Posted by: revjmk on: January 8, 2011
Highlighted Passage: Isaiah 42:1-9 This passage in Isaiah conjures for me an iconic image from Disney’s The Lion King. Even if you’ve never seen it, you probably know this image. It’s a cliff, jutting out high up over the savannah, that the lions visit to look out over their entire kingdom. The movie features a young [...]
About Me
I am a full-time pastor in the United Church of Christ, mother of a preschooler (B.), married to an aspiring academic and curmudgeon (J.). I live by faith, intuition and intellect. I follow politics, football and the Boston Red Sox. I like to talk about progressive issues, theological concerns, church life, the impact of technology and media, pop culture and books.
- Aleada SIragusa: I am a member of United Church of Christ also. One of our pastors, Rev Victoria Long is also a woman. I am on the net searching for photographs I may
- Samantha R.: Hello, I work with a publication called The Traveler's Friend. We are a coupon book for hotels. I was wondering if I could get your permission to use
- Marilyn Holt: Thank you for your inspiring comments on the disaster in your neighborhood and the uplifting section from your sermon. This entry in your blog is maki
