“Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” So asks the hymn that we will be singing a little later. The hymn expresses deep emotions at the thought of this suffering, and imagines what it would have been like to be there at the foot of the cross the day that Jesus died. But it…
Voltaire once said, “In the beginning God created man in His own image, and man has been trying to repay the favor ever since.” He was critiquing those who use God to justify their prejudices and maintain their own place of power. At the beginning of the service, we read that Jesus mounted a donkey,…
Every year, the international affiliates of the Make-A-Wish Foundation fulfill the dreams of over 15,000 children. This happens in fifty countries and on six continents around the world. Children are given the opportunity to be firefighters, astronauts, to fly in fighter jets, or just spend a day with their family at a place like Disneyland.…
In the first world war, the Allied forces called the Germans “Huns” in an effort to tie them to the barbarian Attilla the Hun who had terrorized most of the Roman Empire during the 5th Century. After the “Huns” invaded Belgium, stories began to circulate about how these soldiers were cutting the hands off of…
I’m sure all of you remember the trend several years ago – several decades, actually – where kids would wear these rubber bracelets inscribed with the letters WWJD. This became a bigger trend for all ages, and turned into t-shirts, sweatshirts, ball caps, beanies, you name it. You might have had some of this swag.…
Have you ever seen an actor ask, “What’s my motivation?” Usually it’s in a comedy, poking fun at various actors who take their craft a bit too seriously. It’s called method acting, and it helps the actor get into the mind of the character by understanding what drives them – their motivation. Now, you might…
The disciples in the Gospel reading today were invited by Jesus to join him for something that they did not know would turn into such an amazing event. Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and went up to the mountain to pray. And then, while Jesus was praying, he was transformed before…
In the book, The Scarlet Letter, the character Hester Prynne is forced to wear a red letter “A” on her chest, publicly explaining to all those around her that she has committed adultery. It is a constant reminder of her sin, and she receives public humiliation and anger from all those around here. And this…
The Isaiah passage today is one that you will often hear at ordinations, because immediately after the angel touched his lips and declared his sins blotted out, Isaiah responds with such enthusiasm to taking God’s message to the people. His life was altered, and he willingly stepped away from his own life to pursue God’s…
It’s been said about Luke’s Gospel that he very often framed his narrative about the life of Jesus in such a way that even just the characters in the stories helped to shape what he wanted people to understand. Much like a play, where every character has a purpose. And if we read this story…