“Twas the Night before All Saints”
‘Twas the night before All Saints Day, when all through my house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even my spouse
Who had placed jack ‘o lanterns by our front door with care
In hopes trick-or-treaters soon would be there…
A poem for All Saints Day featuring Broadway’s children.
“Homecoming 523 B.C.E.”
I asked myself, Which book of the Bible would might give us some direction on what to do in liminal time; tell us where to go from here? I nominate the book of Ezra. Maybe we can learn from our forebears in faith, the people of Israel who, 2,500 years ago, had their own Homecoming in 523 BCE.
“Come Home to Ministry”
Each October, many Disciples of Christ churches designate a mid-month week in October as Week of the Ministry, an opportunity to uplift God’s call of all of us to ministry. Our baptisms serve as our ordination certificates. Our lifetime vocation as ministers of the gospel is to love and serve God and neighbor. Be assured we’re all called to ministry.
“You Might be a Disciple if…”
I thought of Jeff Foxworthy this week as I pondered the identifying characteristics of the church family into which Broadway was born 65 years ago. Just as children grow up with a resemblance to their parents, Broadway grew up with the distinguishing characteristics of our parent denomination. So, I thought I’d name the characteristics of Disciples of Christ in Jeff Foxworthy by saying: You might be a Disciple if… With gratitude to Dr. Robert Welsh
“Grumbling at Grace”
The first-hired laborers grumbled at that grace. No fair! Which suggests to me that if we think God pays by the hour, we’ll consign ourselves to living life with a perpetual peripheral stinkeye always looking for people who seem to be getting more than we think they deserve.
“The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant”
A guy is forgiven 7.84 billion by a king but then turns around and refuses to forgive – and punishes – someone who owed him a measly 14k. We and the fellow slaves in the parable are rightly “distressed.” That’s outrageous! How can someone forgiven so much, be so unforgiving? Jesus’ holy hyperbole has made its point.
The Parable of the Talents
Six years ago, I was reading this passage and as I was traipsing through, saying, “I know this one,” I got tripped up, slowed down and brought to a standstill. I got hung up on the way the man handing out the talents is characterized. This nasty Master is not the God we know in Jesus Christ!
The Parable of the Unjust Judge: Don’t Ever Lose Heart
Luke tells us Jesus told his disciples this parable about their need to pray always... and not to lose heart. Jesus knew what we all know: when you run up against people who have no regard for God and no respect for others, you can lose heart.
The Parable of the Sower & the Seed
Let me tell you something. You are living proof that gospel seed manages to take root and bear fruit in some of the darndest places. Yes, you. You’re not here by accident. A seed at some point somewhere thanks to somebody found its way into your ear canal and made its made way all the way in. The Sower’s seed was sown in you. And it took! ...
Click here to see the video of “The Parable of the Sower & the Seed”
I Love to Tell the Story
My turn now to tell how I came to faith and how my faith has matured over the years. When I was growing up, I had a choice on Sunday. I could go to church with Mom or stay at home and work around the house with Dad. Going to church with Mom was the lesser of two evils…
Always With a Broad Mind
The third in a three-part sermon series on the core values of Broadway Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Columbia, MO.
Broad Hearts. Broad Minds. Broad Reach.
Always With a Broad Reach
The second in a three-part sermon series on the core values of Broadway Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Columbia, MO.
Broad Hearts. Broad Minds. Broad Reach.
Always with a Broad Heart
The first in a three-part sermon series on the core values of Broadway Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Columbia, MO.
Broad Hearts. Broad Minds. Broad Reach.
The Deepest Hunger of the Heart
"You are my beloved." Is there any belief more central to the Christian faith than the belief that God loves each and every one of us unconditionally-- that we are each beloved in God's eyes? Someone said, “If God has a refrigerator, your picture is on it.” Or, as Augustine put it, "God loves each one of us as if there was only one of us to love."
Tongue-Tied
… I think the miracle of Pentecost was that there was effective communication. A roomful of people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, nations and languages spoke to, listened to, and understood each other. They communicated!
Power with a Purpose
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8) That word translated power appears 88 times in the New Testament. In Greek, the original language of the New Testament, the word is δυναμιν (dunameen) from which we get our word dynamite. As he is departing his congregation, Pastor Jesus promises he will leave them with some dynamite: the power of the Holy Spirit.
Eighth Day Faith
Today is a great day in the life of the church. That's right - Sunday, April 16, is a high holy day on the church calendar. If it's not, it should be. For you see, it was on the eighth day – Easter Sunday being the first day-- that the disciple named Thomas finally came around to believing…
A House of Living Stones
I hasten to say this – the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ as proclaimed by Peter and by Pastor Rick last week: this building is not the church. You are the church. The stones piled high by Redden Construction’s stonemasons are not the church. Says Peter, you are the church, “living stones... built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5) Preached at Coolwater Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Scottsdale, AZ. Click here to watch video
Look Who’s Chosen
Here’s my question: What do you make of the fact that Israel’s greatest king was Samuel’s 8th choice, but God’s 1st choice? It was because in terms of evidencing the expected qualities of kingship, David had not one, not two, but three strikes against him. Preached at Bloomfield Christian Church, Bloomfield, KY.