1 Samuel 3:1-21 The way I imagine it, the story ends with Eli sitting at a table. The steam is rising from his untouched cup of tea. Sunlight is spilling in through the window. Off in the distance, a donkey is braying, but Eli can’t hear it. He has just gotten the...

Exodus 3:1-15 The most frightening prayer that I know how to say goes like this: Here I am. I don’t know if you’ve ever said that to the LORD or if you’re planning to, but there’s nothing neutral about this one. For one thing, it means we’ve been found. Might as well...

Introduction to the Scripture In just a few minutes, we’ll hear the story of Jacob fleeing from trouble that is hot on his heels. I can’t hear this Bible story without also hearing Nina Simone’s rendition of Sinnerman. Oh sinner man, where you gonna run to? All on...

Genesis 21:1-3 and Genesis 22:1-14 What I love about being the church is that each of you can see something of God that I hadn't seen before, and maybe, I can see something of God that you hadn’t noticed. Now what we’re doing here is murmuring to each other: Oh come...

Genesis 1-2:3 and Psalm 46 Way back, before the beginning was the beginning, darkness covered the face of the deep. Now whenever you hear the Bible talk about the deep, the first thing it means is water and the next thing it means is chaos. In the Bible, the water is...

Genesis 2:1-3 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15 One of the delicious joys about being a pastor is, more often than not, you get to choose how to allocate your time. It’s not a job that comes with a standardized set of tasks to perform. Some pastors go to every single meeting,...

Holy Humor Sunday: Words of Introduction You might remember. Back in March of Twenty-Twenty, everything changed. Like many of you, I experienced my whole job changing. The things I love most about ministry, the things I know how to do— opening the word of God with all...

2 Corinthians 11:16-33 Oh, one more thing! says Paul. You all are being conned by those super-apostles who walk around with their fancy credentials and their compelling rhetoric, but tell me this. Can any of them claim to be on the run from the law? Did any of them...

Introduction to the Scripture One time a rich man hunted down Jesus and stopped him as he was heading out of town. Now the rich man never meant to find himself in this position! Sometimes this is what it is to ask for help. All along, this man had given his life to...

2 Corinthians 2:5-13 and 2 Corinthians 7:5-13 One day the scribes and the Pharisees noticed all the sinners crowding around Jesus, and they began grumbling: You can just tell. This guy is up to no good! Well, Jesus heard them; he heard the derision in their tone, and...