My Precious
This week’s Gospel challenges us with Jesus’ striking words about “hating” even those closest to us — but at its heart, this passage isn’t about hatred at all. It’s about letting go of possessiveness, our tendency to cling to people, things, and control as if they were truly ours. Using Gollum’s obsession with the One Ring as a metaphor, we’re reminded how the word “my” can trap us — “my children,” “my plans,” “my precious.” Jesus calls us to release this grip, to trust God more deeply, and to nurture rather than control the relationships in our lives. True discipleship means surrendering our need to possess and embracing faith that God holds all of us — and those we love — securely in divine hands.
Learning to Sing
Today we are going to talk about inadequacy. Specifically we are going to talk about how God calls people, not in spite of, but because of their inadequacies. This pattern holds throughout Holy Scripture, but we’ll get into that later. First, a personal story.
Practicing God’s Presence
Practicing God’s Presence
This week’s sermon explores the nature of faith, inspired by the Letter to the Hebrews, which tells us that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith, at its heart, is about learning to notice the presence of God beneath the surface of everyday life—a presence that is constant, foundational, and sustaining. But recognizing this deeper reality takes practice. Just as athletes and musicians hone their skills with consistent discipline, we are invited to practice our faith by cultivating spiritual habits that help us see and embody God’s presence in the world..
The Good Samaritan
The Good Samaritan
This week’s Gospel brings us the parable of the Good Samaritan—Jesus’ bold, boundary-breaking response to the question, “Who is my neighbor?” Instead of giving a definition, Jesus tells a story where the expected heroes pass by, and the “othered” Samaritan becomes the one who shows compassion.
The Samaritan crosses both personal and societal divides, risking himself to care for someone his world told him to ignore. His compassion reveals a deeper truth: there is no such thing as the “other.” We are all beloved, woven together in God’s great tapestry.
This week, listen for how God might be calling you to embrace “dangerous unselfishness,” to love beyond your usual circles, and to challenge the lie that some lives matter less than others.
The Time That is Given Us
The Time That is Given Us
In a world weighed down by conflict, injustice, and deep fatigue, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed—to want to retreat and let the chaos play out without us. But Paul’s words to the Galatians cut through that weariness: “Let us not grow weary in doing what is right.” This week’s reflection names the exhaustion many of us carry, while reminding us that faith doesn’t ask us to ignore it—it asks us to keep going anyway. We don’t have to pretend the world isn’t hard; we just have to decide, day by day, what to do with the time we’ve been given.
Drawing on wisdom from Scripture and the quiet courage of Tolkien’s characters, we’re reminded that even in the darkest moments, goodness still glimmers. The shadow is not the end of the story. Together, in community and in faith, we press on—not because it’s easy, but because we believe that love, justice, and beauty are still worth the effort. There is good in this world—and it’s worth fighting for.
The Flow of God’s Love
The Flow of God’s Love
Jesus’ call to “love your neighbor as yourself” isn’t just a rule to follow—it’s a way of life, a constant flow of grace in action. Whether it’s doctors jumping in to help someone in need, or simply taking time to notice the needs of those around us, this kind of love shows up both in big moments and in quiet, everyday ways.
But to truly love our neighbors, we must first learn to love ourselves with grace and compassion. This isn’t selfishness or narcissism—it’s the kind of self-love rooted in the eternal love of God. From that source, love becomes a river, not a lake. It moves through us, sustaining us and reaching out to others, even those we might consider enemies.
This week, reflect on where that river of love might be getting blocked in your life. Are you struggling to love yourself, those nearby, those far away, or even those who oppose you? Ask God to help you become a channel of love and mercy—because to love your neighbor is to live in the flowing rhythm of God’s own heart.
Catharsis
As we enter the long stretch of Ordinary Time — what Godly Play beautifully calls the “green and growing Sundays” — we’re invited into a quieter, deeper rhythm of renewal. In a world marked by division, violence, and uncertainty, it’s tempting to retreat into isolation. But instead of withdrawing, we are called to the spiritual discipline of the deep, cleansing breath — a catharsis that renews without disconnecting.
This week, we reflect on the Gospel story of Jesus casting out the unclean spirit known as Legion — an act of true catharsis, a purging of torment and restoration of peace. Elijah, too, finds his catharsis not in thunderous signs but in sheer silence — a quiet so full it reveals God’s voice and purpose anew.
As we grow through this season, consider: what kind of catharsis do you need to stay rooted in love and engaged in healing? Whether it’s a breath, a prayer, or a break from the noise, may you find strength, not just solace, at Christ’s table — where renewal, not retreat, is our true sustenance.
God and Not-God (Updated)
Nine years ago on Trinity Sunday, I preached a sermon called “God and Not-God: A Short History.” This year, I return to that story—the story of a God who is eternal, perfect, and love itself, and of Not-God, the fragile, impermanent world we inhabit. From Abraham’s trust to Moses’ awe, from the commandments on the mountain to the Word made flesh in Jesus Christ, God has been drawing us away from idols and back into relationship. And in the great mystery of the Holy Trinity—Parent, Child, and Spirit—we glimpse the perfect love that holds all things together and invites us in. Though we live in Not-God, our being rests in God, who empowers us to love, to resist sin, and to join the eternal flow of divine love.