Sermons on The Gospel
“Good to Be Here” Transfiguration Sunday
WYSIATI is the acronym for what-you-see-is-all-there-is! Nobel Prize winner Michael Kahneman argues that human beings look for simple and cause-and-effect patterns to try to make sense of the complexities of life. We normally make our judgments and impressions according to information we have…
A Dangerous Message
January 27, 2019 Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a, Luke 4:14-21 A dangerous message! Human beings are very lazy creatures! I know many of you would respond to this statement with a frown. Which in itself is a good thing: The Nobel prize winner,…
New Never Gets Old
January 20, 2019 Isaiah 62:1-5, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11 New never gets old! Jesus turns water into wine! This is one of the best stories ever told. A few good jokes are actually based on this story: An Irish priest is driving down to New York and gets stopped for speeding in Connecticut. The traffic officer smells alcohol on the priest’s breath and then sees an…
Divine Dreams
January 6, 2019 Epiphany and Communion Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12 Divine Dreams Happy New Year! It is always a bit unsettling at the beginning of a New…
Why So Complicated?
Why so complicated? Herbert Strong, was a fascinating man, an extraordinary scientist, a humble genius. I got to know him when I was the Associate Minister at First Reformed Church in Schenectady. He shared with me the same story a few times – every time with the same excitement and enthusiasm. And every time he would end by saying: “The solution was so simple!” His story…
On Being Well.
On Being Well. Times are difficult. The fabric of society is breaking down and the community is being destroyed. The symbolic world that supported life is collapsing. Serious questions are emerging from this turmoil. Are the nation’s political, cultural, religious and even military structures collapsing? How do we deal with the collapse of everything that we hold dear? I…
Two Sides of the Gospel.
Two Sides of the Gospel As minister of Word and Sacrament I promised in the words of the Book of Church order and the document that I signed, “to preach and teach the good news of salvation in Christ, to build up and equip the church for mission in the world, to free the enslaved, to relieve the oppressed, to comfort the afflicted, and to walk humbly with God.” I do my…