Sermons

April 7, 2019    

Texts:  
Psalm 126
Isaiah 43:16-21
John 12: 1-8
Philippians 3: 4b - 14

 I would not attempt this teaching if we were not in reach of Easter and its promise of resurrection; I ‘m planning to talk about suffering, not a subject most of us want to dwell on.

  Each of us is unavoidably confronted with both personal suffering and a world of suffering. How can we deal with it? We are sorely tempted to turn away – it’s too much. We act cheerful even if it means putting on a false front. Some of us use painkillers like alcohol or the opioids that end up killing 47,000 Americans each year. Some people latch on to cults or religions that soothe– as you know religion has been called “the opiate of the people.”  And the real purpose of much of the bloated consumerism of our times is to deaden feelings of pain and suffering. It’s only natural to avoid as much pain and suffering as we can - to eat, drink, and be merry, and buy stuff.

March 31, 2019

Texts:
     Jer 25:3-11
     Ps 137:1-6
     Luke 13:1-9

     Marja and I recently received a fund-raising letter from an environmental organization we support.  On the front of the envelope they had printed: “Join us today to put an end to global climate change.”  Well, they are good organization but I have some news for them: Whether we join your organization or not, whatever we do, whatever you do, whatever anyone else does, we’re not going to put an end to climate change.

March 24, 2019

Over the years, some of you might have heard me say that I have little faith of my own—what faith I do have is mostly borrowed—from David Hilfiker and Fred Taylor, from Harold Vines and Mike Hopkins, Stephanie Harding, and from the residents and staff at Joseph’s House for so many years.  I also borrow faith from African American writers and activists: Sweet Honey’s Bernice Reagon, a young womanist theologian and anti-racism activist, Christena Cleveland, Reverend William Barber; and I borrow faith from the people I know and have known at L’Arche.

Then, not long ago I came across a reflection by Rabbi Abraham Heschel that got my heart’s attention.  Here it is:

Faith is an endless pilgrimage of the heart.  Audacious longing, burning songs, daring thoughts, an impulse overwhelming the heart, usurping the mind - these are all a drive towards serving the Divine who rings our hearts like a bell. 

My understanding of faith has been too narrow because surely the Divine has rung my heart like a bell!   Surely my heart has been overwhelmed again and again, all these years at Joseph’s House.

March 10, 2019

Texts:

Good morning friends and family, I’m so grateful for this opportunity to be surrounded by you on the day of Santiago’s baptism. I’d like to begin with a prayer.

——————

Holy Spirit, comforting Spirit,
happy are they who turn to you
over and over again!

And when we entrust to you,
even without words,
our lives and those of others,
our longings find a Gospel response.^[1]
 

Amen.

February 24, 2019:

Psalm 37

Psalm 37 explains for us a path to being with and following God:

We are not to fret because of the wicked.
We are to trust in the Lord and do good.
We are to commit our way to the Lord, trust in him and watch for God’s actions.
We are to be still before the Lord and wait patiently for God.
We are to refrain from anger and forsake wrath.

We are not to fret or worry about the wicked?  I don’t know about you, but I have been doing a lot of fretting since our President and his followers have been a part of our government.  The psalmist says that fretting only leads to evil.  One thing it does is waste time,

• time we have that is precious,
• time we could be acting against the decisions that are separating us from each other,
• time we could be doing retreats for the Samaritans at the border like Connie and Jesse,
• time we could be enjoying each other and supporting each other in the fight for justice,
• time we could be fleshing out our call we are hearing from God,
• time we could be asking God for help in healing ourselves and others. 

Feb 17, 2019 
Texts:
     Jeremiah 17:5-10
     Psalm 1
     Luke 6:17-26

SONG (traditional)

I’m just a poor wayfarin’ Stranger, traveling thru this world of woe
But there’s no sickness, no toil or danger
In that bright world to which I go.
I’m going there to see my mother, I’m going there no more to roam
I’m only going over Jordan, I’m only going over home.

I know dark clouds will gather round me,
I know my way is rough & steep
But beauteous fields lie just beyond me,
Where souls redeemed their vigil keep.
I’m going there to see my savior, to sing her praises evermore.
I’m only going over Jordan, I’m only going over home.

A few weeks ago I went with my friend and partner Jesse to Sahuarita, a town south of Tucson AZ, to be a part of “Common Ground on the Border,” a 3-day event that introduced people to migrant issues on the border, as well as celebrating the music and arts of the border lands.