For The Good Ones
The disciples ask for a teaching about prayer and Jesus offers this one–what we call the “Our Father…” or the Lord’s Prayer. When I was growing up in the church there were only a few correct ways to refer to, …
Continue readingWelcome to Us, All
Nearly late, I slid into the seat next to her just before the speaker began. We smiled and introduced. Joan was from just outside Houston so she’d driven in to the meeting early that morning, avoiding the traffic. I told …
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A Spacious Spirituality
Philippians 1:3-11 Welcome…and thank you for letting me give the sermon this morning, on Pentecost Sunday and the last Sunday in our worship theme of “Love Letters.” In case you haven’t heard, we’re moving away in a few weeks, and …
Continue readingWide Margins
I just returned from a continuing education event, the Festival of Homiletics. It is a blessed gift to have continuing education, (thank you) a time to gather with colleagues in the same field, learn from the best presenters, and remember …
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Senior Sunday
On Sunday, May 21, 2017 our high school youth group hosted Senior Sunday, where our graduating seniors share thoughts on their UCG experience. In this service our youth choose every song, write every prayer, and lead our hearts to …
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An Open Letter to the Broken-hearted
I Kings 19:1-13 The Bible, like many sacred writings, contains love letters, given and received. Letters of passionate longing like Song of Solomon, “Kiss me again and again, for your love is sweeter than wine.” Letters of regret like Psalm …
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A Love Letter to UCG
On May 7, 2017, Rev. Andy Bachmann and the Piedmont College Singers led our worship services.…
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Beyond Empire – Easter Sunday
Shelly: One of the most joyful parts of our jobs is to lead worship services on Easter Day. But one of the hardest things for ministers preaching on Easter Day is to think of a good sermon title. As evidence …
Continue readingPalming off Our Creeds
In some Bibles, the Palm Sunday story is sometimes subtitled, “the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem” which is ironic, of course, since the word triumphal implies that somebody is the victor and somebody else is the defeated and that is precisely …
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The High Cost of Keeping Quiet
Mark 4:35-40 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats …
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Nevertheless, She Also Persisted
SCRIPTURE AND READINGS Sometimes I wondered if I had any faith. And when I had had enough of that, I got up and went on my way. And that – the getting up and going – was faith. ~ M. …
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Practice Resurrection
Matthew 16: 21 From that time forth began Jesus to show to his disciples, how that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again …
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