Acts 9:36-43
The Acts of the Apostles. We’re going to hear quite a bit from that book during the season of Easter. It’s a book that is read, traditionally during Easter because it talks about those early acts and the lives of those followers of Jesus immediately after the resurrection…
John 13:1-15
During these services of Holy Week, as a homilist or preacher, sometimes it’s better just to stay out of the way of the service. Let its power and symbolism speak for itself and communicate something to us. I would like to share a couple of thoughts on the liturgy this evening…
Exodus 3:1-15
It was just a little over 30 years ago that I had an opportunity to take a trip to the Middle East. The group that I was with, I remember this vividly, flying out of New York to Amman, Jordan…
Good evening. It’s good to see you all here as we come to the end of a day and the beginning of the wondrous season, the season of Lent. I would bet you that you’ve never started the season of Lent with a banner that says JOY – brightly colored. I want to put that a little bit in context…
There was a book that I had to read for a course that I was taking in college (I was majoring in sociology) back in 1973. The book was called The Denial of Death. It was written by Ernest Becker who was a cultural anthropologist. The idea of the book was this: one of the things we find difficult to accept is death…
The church is in decline. Attendance is decreasing. Membership is decreasing. Financial support of the church is decreasing. That’s what a lot of reports are saying about the church today, particularly in the United States. A lot of studies and reports are being done. And those statistics, in many ways, are real…
Luke 2:1-20
I’d like to share a story with you tonight about Daniel; not the Daniel of the Hebrew scriptures, but Daniel of Thornwood, New York. Back in 1973 my family moved from Yonkers, New York where I had grown up to Thornwood, New York…
Luke 21:25-36
What are you waiting for? This season of Advent that we begin today and for the next four weeks is oftentimes described as the season of waiting. Watching and waiting. So I say to us this morning, “What are you waiting for?” …
Mark 12:38-44
The widow’s mite. That’s a phrase that’s usually used to describe this Gospel reading that we just heard. I’d like to talk a bit about this Gospel reading, actually share with you two observations…
Mark 10:35-45
In two weeks my oldest daughter is getting married here at St. Paul’s. She and her fiancee met at UNC Greensboro. The last few months and weeks have been heading toward that day. I know the next couple of weeks are going to be pretty hectic too as we prepare for this joyous time in our family…