Tag Archives: church

The Koan of COVID

In Zen Buddhism there is a tradition where a Zen Master will pose a koan to his students to help them gain enlightenment. A koan is a question or a story designed to throw the student’s mind off balance, which … Continue reading

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Fishers of People

Posted in Church, Church Growth, Community, Jesus, Meme, ministry, Mission, Spiritual Growth | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Making the Right Mistakes

The great jazz musician Thelonious Monk once told one of his sidemen, “You’re making all the wrong mistakes!” Monk was known as musician who did things differently, who played with a kind of dissonance that sounded like he was making … Continue reading

Posted in Church, Compassion, Jazz, ministry, Mission, Musings, Pastoral Ministry, Social Ministry, spirituality, Thelonious Monk | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

What Does God Care About?

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

The Healing Place

This is a bit different sermon for me. It has a very open-ended conclusion, if it even has a conclusion. Basically I want to know how we can help each other encounter the healing power of God. (Text at the … Continue reading

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Well, THAT Changes Everything!

JOHN 20:1-18 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter … Continue reading

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Could We Be One (So the world would know…)

    SECOND READING 1 PETER 4:12-14, 5:6-11 4:12Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice insofar as you are sharing … Continue reading

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Jesus Is Not Jeeves; Time To Do Away With Divine Personal Savior and Personal Valets

Reach out and touch faith Your own Personal Jesus Someone to hear your prayers Someone who cares Your own Personal Jesus Someone to hear your prayers Someone who’s there  –Depeche Mode, Personal Jesus I grew up in a tradition where people were encouraged to accept Jesus … Continue reading

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A Time to Be Weaned

Why is it that we argue about things we cannot change? For example, recently there was a debate between a young earth creationist, and Bill Nye the Science Guy, which was apparently broadcast around the nation. (Full disclosure: I did … Continue reading

Posted in Christianity and Homosexuality, Church, Emergent Church, Jesus, ministry, religion and politics, spirituality | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Here Be Dragons

Let me go back to Friedman (and to the early explorers) again. He said that when those explorers headed south to try to fine a new way to China, they hit the end of the world. Not the actual end … Continue reading

Posted in Christianity and Homosexuality, Church, Emergent Church, Jesus, LGBT, ministry, Presbyterian, spirituality, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments