Sermons

At the beginning of his ministerial career, Jesus performs a miracle which is very public.  In addition, it is a reluctant miracle—his own mother has to persuade him (push him) to get involved.  Jesus, his mom, and a couple of the disciples are at a wedding when the hosts of the party run out of… [Read More]

I have to give John the Baptizer a lot of credit.  He could have let the praise of the people go to his head.  After seeing all those people gathered on the river’s edge to hear a word of hope to get them through their seemingly endless days in a brutal and uncaring empire, he… [Read More]

Let’s take one last look at the Christmas story—or stories—  before we leave it for another year. For today (at Rev. Dee’s suggestion) I chose a passage designated for Epiphany, which is traditionally celebrated on January 6. That passage comes from the Gospel of Matthew, which offers a version of the first Christmas that has… [Read More]

On this 4th Sunday of Advent, this Advent Sunday of love, this Sunday before the hush of a silent and holy night, where God is birthed in darkness, it seems both necessary and important to revisit today what exactly Christmas is about.  “Jesus,” we might reply, nodding our heads knowingly.  And yes, Christmas is about… [Read More]

“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”  I don’t know much about wells, or drawing water, for that matter.  I’ve mostly had town or city water in my lifetime, except while camping or roughing it.  But drawing water from a well on a regular basis for daily needs sounds like a… [Read More]

Beware the incense. I bought a little incense burner the other day at Ross.  It cost $6, discounted, and is a round piece of wood with two little gold stars painted on it.  It is a replacement for a lovely lotus burner that one of the kids accidentally broke a month ago. There’s been a… [Read More]

Today, friends, we enter a new season — a new year, according to the church calendar, and we may be sensing some of that newness ahead of us here at BUCC today. Today we enter the season of Advent— something’s coming; that’s what Advent means.  Advent is a season for watching and waiting for something… [Read More]

Roger Ebert was the first movie critic ever to win a Pulitzer for criticism in 1975.  Just before his death of cancer in 2013, the famous critic wrote these last words for the Times, “So on this day of reflection I say again, thank you for going on this journey with me. I’ll see you at… [Read More]

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Years ago, when Frank and I traveled to Jerusalem, one of the places that we visited was the Western Wall, also known as the Kotel.  The Western Wall is one of the only remaining parts of the Jewish Second Temple, which was renovated and expanded by King Herod around 37 BCE.  Parts of the wall… [Read More]