Author Archives: tmrichmond3

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About tmrichmond3

I am the pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Medford, Oregon. I believe that faith should be able to sustain us, not oppress us.

A Heart, and “Da Noirve”

Posted on August 13, 2018 by tmrichmond3

The two boys were a bit different from the other parishioners, even from the other kids in the church. One was 15, the other was 17. They were both in a band. There were both on the cutting edge of … Continue reading →

Posted in Compassion, Courage, Follow the Yellow Brick Road, Intelligence, LGBT, Micah 6"8, ministry, Musings, Preaching, Sermons, Spiritual Growth, spirituality, Wizard of Oz | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

If I Only Had a Brain

Posted on August 6, 2018 by tmrichmond3

Third in a series of sermons on the Wizard of Oz. This week we are looking at the Scarecrow, and the need to be thinking Christians.   I was a young Christian, trying to figure things out, and I was … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Church Growth, Intelligence, ministry, Musings, Preaching, Sermons, Spiritual Growth, spirituality, Wizard of Oz, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Queer Eye for the Christian Guy

Posted on August 3, 2018 by tmrichmond3

When I gave my life to Christ in 1975 there was a lot of clean up I had to do to follow God the way I really wanted to. I invited Christ into my life, and the next thing I … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Church Growth, Conversion, Healing, Musings, Queer Eye, Spiritual Growth, spirituality, Transformation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Leaving Kansas

Posted on July 30, 2018 by tmrichmond3

TEXTS: Isaiah 6:-1-8, Matthew 5:1-11 Dorothy and Kansas In the late 1990s Alaska Airlines ran an ad that showed a beautiful scene in Alaska, tagged with the words, “When you’ve seen Alaska the rest of the country looks like Kansas.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Beatitudes, C. S. Lewis, ministry, Preaching, Sermons, Spiritual Growth, spirituality, Wizard of Oz, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Presbyterians and Politics Part Deux

Posted on July 28, 2018 by tmrichmond3

06-16 Back in the 2000s, during the presidency of George W. Bush, I saw a bumper sticker that said, “I never thought I would miss Nixon.” A few weeks ago I saw one that said, “I never thought I would … Continue reading →

Posted in ministry, Musings, Preaching, Presbyterian, Presbyterians, religion and politics, spirituality | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Posted on July 23, 2018 by tmrichmond3

(This is the first in a series of sermons using the Wizard of Oz as a way of understanding the spiritual life. Texts at the end.)     Come with me on a journey—a journey down the Yellow Brick Road. … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons, Spiritual Growth, spirituality, Wizard of Oz | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Presbyterians and Politics

Posted on July 20, 2018 by tmrichmond3

  Note: At this summer’s General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the following statement was passed. “No congregation, session, presbytery, synod, or national office of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), nor any individual acting on behalf of or in an … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Musings, Preaching, Presbyterian, religion and politics, spirituality, Theology | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

City of Dreams or Nothing New Under the Sun

Posted on July 12, 2018 by tmrichmond3

William Faulkner once said, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Watching the various incidents concerning immigrants in America has driven that home. I have been reading Tyler Anbinder’s massive book, City of Dreams in my free time. It weighs in at 735 pages, … Continue reading →

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Grilled Lime Chicken On A Bed of Lemons

Posted on July 10, 2018 by tmrichmond3

Originally posted on capturingminnesota:
This is my new favorite way to grill chicken and fish! It keeps the meat so moist, it doesn’t burn, you get a great lemon flavor, the lemons smell awesome when they start getting hot, and…

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Calmed, Healed, Sent

Posted on July 9, 2018 by tmrichmond3

  Just seeing it on the shelf at the library unleashed a flood of memories. The Next Whole Earth Catalog. It threw me 44 years into the past, when I bought The Last Whole Earth Catalog on a whim from … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Church Growth, Healing, Jesus, ministry, Mission, Presbyterian, Sermons, Spiritual Growth, spirituality, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment