Visitors to the Table

I sat down at a small round table in the fellowship hall where two visitors munched on coffee cake and sipped Kool-Aid. I had met them earlier in the hallway; their friend, a member of the congregation and the one who had invited them to our church in the first place needed help answering a … Continue reading Visitors to the Table

King James’s 400 Years of Inadequacy

First, I sincerely apologize to my Episcopalian friends. I saw over and over on Facebook today that the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, the "Authorized" version of the Bible in the English language, is upon us. If they haven't already, I'm sure that many people are making great plans for how to celebrate … Continue reading King James’s 400 Years of Inadequacy

Sermon–November 13, 2011–Pentecost 22A

Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost A Preached at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Muskegon, MI, while on Internship. Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18 Psalm 90: 1-8, [9-11] 12 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 Matthew 25:14-30 As I’m sure most of you know by now, I have been a tuba player since the sixth grade. I played the tuba through all of … Continue reading Sermon–November 13, 2011–Pentecost 22A

God in the Storm: “Not Like a Tame Lion”

Driving down the Causeway connecting North Muskegon with the city of Muskegon can be a harrowing experience. The crosswind tumbles and rushes down from Muskegon Lake, challenging drivers to stay in their lane. At night, when the wind gusts up to 35 mph and kicks up surf and rain under a heavy blanket of menacing … Continue reading God in the Storm: “Not Like a Tame Lion”

What Makes a True Believer?

I had a conversation with an older gentleman after church today. He told me about his experiences with other denominations while looking for a church. Hearing his story, I invited him to Pub Theology next week because the topic is “Christian Unity and How to Deal with 'Those' People” (we needed a catchy tag-line that … Continue reading What Makes a True Believer?