Greg Cootsona: Activated: A Conversation with Technologist Matt York
Pretty much every day, I rack my brain to find examples for how churches can connect with science and technology to enhance their ministries. On one such day, I thought of my friend Matt York, Executive Director of illuminAid...
Frederick Buechner Weekly Sermon Illustration: Agape (1 Corinthians 13:1-13)
In our blog post each Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary 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 1 Corinthians...
Bishop Elizabeth Eaton: What Masks Do We All Wear?
What masks do we all wear? Some are appropriate—we don’t have to emote all over everyone all the time. It’s good to have boundaries—some are needed for safety. But none of these is who we truly are, and all of these take energy.
Drew Rick-Miller: The Standard Model (of Particle Physics)
As we prepare to reveal the Standard Model of Science for the Church—how the church can benefit from engaging science—let us first consider its namesake from particle physics...
Susan Sparks: The Ten Commandments of Joy
We've been buried under bad news, bad infection rates, and bad weather. I thought we all needed a reminded that joy can be found in all circumstances. You simply have to follow... The Ten Commandments of Joy!
Frederick Buechner's Weekly Sermon Illustration: Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-31a)
In our blog post each Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday we will celebrate the Third Sunday after the Epiphany. Here is this week’s reading from 1 Corinthians...
Frederick Buechner Weekly Sermon Illustration: The Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11)
In our blog post each Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday we will celebrate the Second Sunday after the Epiphany. Here is this week’s reading from the gospel of John...
Laura Jean Truman: Epiphany: When God Speaks Our Language
Epiphany, the story of the Magi, is about a God who sings us all home, in the language we speak, as the people we are.
Susan Sparks: What is True and What is Right
On this Epiphany Sunday and New Year’s weekend, I want to look to the Biblical story of the wise men for strength and wisdom during this difficult time....
Edgardo Rosado/Science for the Church: Following the Eastern Star of Epiphany
It was January 5, 1975, the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany. My big brother and I could hardly contain the excitement of the impending visit of the Three Magi (or Three Kings), a central Christmas tradition in the Latinx community....
Natalia Terfa: After the Manger: An Epiphany Lesson
"And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road." (Matthew 2:12) In Matthew’s Gospel we hear of the visiting Magi, strangers from another land, who came to offer gifts to Jesus.
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Spirit (Acts 8:14-17 )
In our blog post each Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. This Sunday we will celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. Here is this week’s reading from the book of Acts.
Frederick Buechner's Epiphany Sermon Illustration: The Wise Man (Matthew 2:1-2)
Here is a special sermon illustration for Epiphany with a Frederick Buechner reading on Matthew 2:1-2...
Frederick Buechner Special Sermon Illustration - New Year's Day: Kairos
On January 1, 2022 we will celebrate New Year's Day. Here is today's reading from the book of Ecclesiastes, along with a comment from Frederick Buechner...
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: The Fullness of Time (Ephesians 1:7-10)
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 after Christmas Day. Here is today's reading from the book of Ephesians...
Walter Brueggemann: Who Knows?
The Hebrew Bible has a recurring grammatical usage in response to the realities of life that are hidden, uncertain, filled with wonder, or beyond human comprehension. The repeated response to such uncertainty is, “Who knows?” (mi-yodea’)...
Susan Sparks: Healing the Humbug
One of my favorite Christmas movies is Scrooge. Not the newer versions. I love the one with the great British actor Albert Finney as Scrooge and Alec Guinness (Ben Kenobi in The Empire Strikes Back) as Marley, Scrooge’s late business partner...
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s Christmas Message 2021: ‘In the name of these refugees, let us help all refugees’
The Christmas stories are reminders that this Jesus came to show us how to love as God loves. And one of the ways we love as God loves is to help those who are refugees, those who seek asylum from political tyranny, poverty, famine, or other hardship.
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Compassion (Colossians 3:12-15)
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 after Christmas. Here is this week's reading from Colossians...
Frederick Buechner Christmas Sermon Illustration: The Innkeeper (Luke 2:7)
The following Christmas monologue comes from “The Birth”, one of Frederick Buechner’s sermons at the Philip Exeter School and published in Secrets in the Dark.