Hope for Easter
My eldest is a high school senior, the class of ’24, that endured an entirely remote freshman year. We were looking forward to her last round of exams, the decision of which college to attend, prom, graduation, and a lot what my daughter’s circle of friends has dubbed the senior sillies. Her friends are an amazing group—the kind that gives all who know them hope for the future—and their laughter delights us whenever they gather. However, nearly two weeks ago, the ground under their feet shifted and...
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: The Truth of Stories
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday we will celebrate Palm Sunday. Here is this week’s reading from the gospel of Mark 15:2-5:
Preaching that Connects Creation Care to Climate Change
...only 4 percent of evangelical Protestants who attend religious services regularly remember hearing “a great deal” of sermons discussing climate change, while 20 percent said some of the time. About 13 percent of mainline Protestants and Black Protestants said they heard sermons on climate change quite a bit. What’s more, congregants say they talk about climate change with other churchgoers even less than they heard messages about it from the pulpit...
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Salvation
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday, we will celebrate the Fifth Sunday in Lent. Here is this week’s reading from the gospel of John 12:24-25:
How Do You Know What to Say Yes To and What to Say No To?
Life in ministry can feel like a barrage of requests and needs. Everyone wants a piece of you. And as you look around, you see so much that needs to be done. You’ve got to get to the hospital to visit someone. There’s a board meeting on Tuesday. And people are saying, “We should be doing (fill-in-the-blank).” Or, “We used to do (fill-in-the-blank), and we should start that up again.” Or, “you should visit (fill-in-the-blank).” Not to mention the denominational commitments and requests.
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Grace
In our blog post every Monday we will select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday we will celebrate The Fourth Sunday in Lent. Here is this week’s reading from the book of Ephesians 2:1-9:
Making 100 TikToks as Ministry
I’m by no means an expert on TikTok. God knows I watched a bunch of videos from people who say they are. Like many of you, I’m just doing ministry and learning every day. But by taking this journey, I’ve grown as a leader and I’ve grown my community. On average, I reach 10x more people per post (TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube combined) than I do in person. After making 100 TikToks as part of my ministry, here’s what I’ve learned...
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Foolishness
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday, we will celebrate the Third Sunday in Lent. Here is this week’s reading from the book of 1 Corinthians 1:18-25:
The Playfulness of God
Play is how we first made sense of the world into which we were born. It was how we explored ourselves and our worlds, our divine outer and our divine inner realms. Unless we change and become like children, right? Then perhaps we will find our hands cupped and overflowing with the kingdom of God. Above this mycelium, Above the vast and rich traditions of playfulness that buoy and connect our cultures is what is visible on the forest floor of our existence.
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Abraham, Sarah, and Laughter
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday, we will celebrate the Second Sunday in Lent. Here is this week’s reading from the book of Genesis 17:1-7, 15-17
The Father God who is no God-Father
In the course of a family household, there are characteristically two most demanding, most rewarding relationships: the relationship of marital partners and the relationship of parent and child. In Fences, the groundbreaking and oft-adapted play by August Wilson, Troy is the main character. He is a steady, reliable Black garbage collector who does his work every day, loves his family, and seeks out chances for small gains. In the play, Troy has a tangle with both of these primary relationships...
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Noah
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday, we will celebrate the First Sunday in Lent. Here is this week’s reading from the book of Genesis 9:8-17
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Denouncer of Piety
For special days in the Christian calendar, we post an additional reading from the Revised Common Lectionary and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Today we mark Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent with a reading from the gospel of Matthew 6:1-5
The Hidden Secret of Winter Trees
The day I walked out to look up at the trees was dim and dreary. The trees, leafless and bare, formed an almost lace-like pattern against the gray winter sky. To a brief passerby, they probably appeared lifeless, dead even. I think we all know how that feels. Sometimes everything in life can feel and look bare and brittle, lifeless, even dead. However, there is way more going on under the surface than we realize...
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Transfiguration
In our blog post every Monday we will select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. This coming Sunday we will celebrate Transfiguration Sunday. Here is this week’s reading from the Gospel of Mark 9:2-9:
If You Get Tired, Learn to Rest, Not to Quit
Most of the ministry leaders I speak with are tired. It’s been a long four years. Many of you started the pandemic already tired. It’s hard to take time to rest when you feel the weight of the church on your back. It’s hard to take sabbath when Sunday is your busiest day. I’ve been thinking about Sabbath time, as part of the chapter on time in the book about sustainable ministry that I’m working on. Here are some thoughts I’ve had so far...
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Waiting for Christ
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday, we will celebrate the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany. Here is this week’s reading from the book of Isaiah 40:31:
Ed Rosado: Relational Fitness: The Secret to Happiness
Our ability to connect with God and with others affects us in physical and emotional ways. Have you ever noticed how you feel when you enter a circle of like-minded people and connect with them? Our willingness to embrace kingdom values by engaging with our neighbors helps us see the world in new and unexpected ways. It reinvigorates us, gives meaning and purpose to our lives, and strengthens our resolve to relational fitness. Thus, our best interest is to develop new ways to engage those around us...
BOOK REVIEW: Greg Garrett amplifies James Baldwin’s prophetic call from ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’ to ‘The Welcome Table’
“This collection at the Schomburg is incredible!” Greg said in our interview about his Baldwin book. “I want to keep learning about—and from—James Baldwin for the rest of my life. So, looking at these manuscripts—especially those about the play, The Welcome Table, that he was working on at the end of his life—allowed me to see how...
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: The Law of Love
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday, we will celebrate the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany. Here is this week's reading from the gospel of Mark 1:21-26: