Inspired by Micah 2: 1-5I’m not sure if it should make me feel better or worse that the issues dooming the community in Micah are the same issues plaguing our contemporary society. Both in the ancient Israelite community and in contemporary American society, land represents the promise of survival and sustainability. Both in the ancient Israelite […]
Messages
After The Pause In Conservation
For the past year and a half, I have regularly used the word “conservation” when referring to our community’s relationship with these ten acres of shortgrass prairie. While conservation has not required that The Land remains unchanged, it has created space to understand the pricelessness of The Land we would be conserving. As a practice, […]
In the Weaving
I don’t know about all of you, but I love Pentecost. This time in the church calendar when we remember the Holy Spirit, our advocate. Sometimes we remember this season by talking about when Peter and the disciples received the spirit and spoke in different languages so that all the Jews visiting from all over […]
When the Story Goes Silent
Acts 10:44-48While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, “Can […]
Cotton Candy Conversion
Inspired by Acts 8:26-40Let’s just say that the story of Philip and the Eunuch is a cotton candy fairy tale. Unlike every other conversion story ever told, this conversion story is nothing but butterflies and rainbows. Two key ingredients ensure that this is a conversion story with a happy (aka: non-genocidal) ending. The first key […]
A Critical Conversion
Romans 8:5-10Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The […]
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
Last Saturday, the question inspiring my sermon study was this:With the big day of resurrection behind us, how do we keep noticing the patterns of birth and resurrection enough to participate in the New Creation? The scripture I intended to answer that question with was this:So now, those who are in Christ Jesus are not […]
An Easter Devotion
Holy Days exist as placeholders for intentional spiritual reflection and religious remembering. While they may not always be experienced as such, holy days are days set aside to become curious again, to ask questions again, to feel a sense of aliveness again. These days are opportunities to affirm, deepen and maybe even ditch some of […]
Solving Salvation
Inspired by verses from John 14: 1-4; 5-14John 14: 1-4 (NRSV)“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I […]
Never Barren: Learning from The Land
How many folks do you figure drive up and down Powhaton Road on a regular basis, especially in the winter, thinking that they are driving across a barren wasteland if they think about the terrain they are passing at all. Or perhaps if they think of the landscape, they firmly believe its only value comes […]