A Mother’s Tragic Tale

Once upon a time there was a mother with many children. Like most parents, this mother loved her children and did all she could to provide for, care for, and nurture them. She gave sacrificially of herself year after year. Not all of her children, however, followed her example. Some… Continue reading

John 3:16-17 Series “For God So Loved the World” (Part Four)

(a 14 minute podcast) So far in the sermon series on John 3:16-17, we have demonstrated that the whole premise behind the Good News is “For God so loved the world.” We have also defined eternal life in a way that is true to the New Testament. And we have… Continue reading

John 3:16-17 Series “For God So Loved the World” (Part Three)

a 9-minute podcast In the second sermon of this series on John 3:16, we discovered that the focus of eternal life in the New Testament is not on how long it lasts (although it lasts forever)—the focus is on the quality of life. Eternal life is a life lived in… Continue reading

John 3:16-17 Series “For God So Loved the World” (Part Two)

(a 14-minute podcast) If God sent God’s Son into this world so that we might have eternal life, then it’s absolutely crucial that we understand what John meant by “eternal life.” Now you might think that the answer is obvious. Perhaps you grew up with the same understanding of eternal… Continue reading

John 3:16-17 Series “For God So Loved the World” (Part One)

(a 13-minute podcast) John 3:16 is like the Lord’s Prayer—we all know it, but our very familiarity with this verse hides its profound message. We think we know what it means because we hear and interpret it through the theology we’ve grown up with. But I am convinced that the… Continue reading

Meeting God

God is best experienced as we reach out in compassion and love to others, especially those who are disenfranchised and discounted in our culture. If Jesus was correct in presenting a God who has proclaimed divine solidarity with “the least of these” of our world, then it’s natural to expect that we will find God best as we touch others in God’s healing and liberating name. Continue reading

Philippians 3: 10-14 “The Growing Edge”

Our culture has been blessed by the African American Howard Thurman who has been called the American prophet of soul. With an impressive career as an educator in some of the finest universities in the United States, Thurman was a poet, mystic, philosopher, and theologian. This morning I want to share… Continue reading

Hallelujah Chorus

The church where Susan and I are members [Downey Ave Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)] ends each Easter service with our talented organist Monna Breland playing the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah. Everyone in the sanctuary follows the custom of standing during this rousing piece of music. The tradition behind… Continue reading