Then and Now: Purpose (The Story of Joseph)
In her clever short story called “Personal Testimony,” author Lynna Williams tells of the 12-year old preacher’s daughter who goes to a fundamentalist Bib...
Then and Now: Power (The Story of Jacob’s Sons)
A few weeks ago, I suggested that you all might be humming the songs from the movie musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, after we watched it together on our Friday ...
Then and Now: Struggle (The Story of Jacob)
This time last year, I completed a journey I thought would just about do me in....
Then and Now: Conflict(The Story of Jacob, Esau, and Rebekah)
I feel confident that in a few months when all the “best of” lists begin to come out, that the memoir called Spare will be at the top. You know the one. ...
Then and Now: Testing and Providing (The Story of Isaac)
Today, in our Then and Now sermon series exploring the Book of Genesis, we turn to Genesis chapter 22. Here, we encounter a familiar story, which is rich with i...
Then and Now: Laughter (The Story of Sarah)
Back in 2009, there was a young man who was beginning to be noticed by the NBA....
Then and Now: Oppression (The Story of Hagar)
He shuffles through this world, practically daring someone to see him. Overlooked and oppressed by every earthly measure, he prefers to blend in and be passed b...
Then and Now: Promise (The Story of Abraham)
I was a tender 12 years old, and God had called my family to leave our home of sweet small town life in Laurens, South Carolina for the booming metropolis of Kn...
Alienation and Reconciliation (The Story of Noah)
If you’re like many in the Christian tradition, the last time you may have thought about Noah was as a child yourself, or when a child in your life got those ...
Then and Now: Boundaries (The Story of Adam and Eve)
Have you read the story called The Giving Tree? You know this one, don’t you – the story that poet Shel Silverstein gave us about the tree who loved the lit...
Then and Now: Goodness (The Story of God)
I bet you know that story about the little girl, who could be one of yours or one of ours, who drew a picture in Sunday School one week....
The End of Ways and Means
We’ve spent this school year “on the way” with Jesus, examining the ancient roads he walked, the paths toward God he proclaimed, the journey of life and f...
Here & There & Everywhere
I had a bit of a chuckle when picking the title for today’s Easter sermon, thinking that perhaps half of you would hear “here and there and everywhere” an...
Again & Again: Emptying & Filling
Our church is one of countless around the world who are marking Palm Sunday today with rituals of celebration. We saw it with our children and youth waving palm...
Again & Again: Losing & Finding
Have you heard the story about the guy who loses his keys? There’s a guy… and he loses his keys! He’s looking and he’s looking and he’s looking for hi...
Again & Again: Perishing & Living
One Wednesday night awhile back, my kids, along with some of their friends and teachers here were doing as they do – running in circles around Kelly Auditoriu...
Again & Again: Tearing Down & Raising Up
This past week, I enjoyed a lecture on Monday night over at Wake Forest’s Divinity School. As I was entering the building, I shared in brief conversation with...
Again & Again: Gaining & Losing
In 1958, the communist government of China under Mao Zedong’s leadership decided they’d had enough. The offender? Not another country, or a protest group, o...
Again & Again: Near & Far
There once was a young man who had gone to the desert to pursue a holy life. For months on end, he fasted, he prayed, he pondered the meaning of scripture, and ...
Distended
It's Ash Wednesday, the day in our Christian year when we consider the truth of our finality and fragility: that 'from dust we came, and to the dust we shall re...
The End is Only the Beginning
The end of the Christmas story is only the beginning. You don’t have to answer this question out loud, but how many of you all are willing to admit that you ...
Christmas Eve Worship: For Good News of Great Joy
Just the other day, I was checking out in the line at Target with what I was sure was the last Christmas present I’d need to buy (spoiler alert, it wasn’t!)...
To Dwell Among Us: For Fulfillment
We’re talking about fulfillment today, and I’m not just referring to the Amazon Fulfillment Centers all around the country who are in their final press to C...
Service of Lessons & Carols
Our annual Advent Service of Lessons & Carols was one for the ages! Enjoy the story of Emmanuel, God-with-us, in scripture and in song!...
To Dwell Among Us: For Nearness
Are we there yet? Is it time? Has my package arrived? Is my treatment almost over? Will we ever … get there? Fill in the blank with any of the yearnings in ou...
To Dwell Among Us: For the Way
“The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,” Mark writes as this first gospel begins....
Attending Church: Abundant Imagination
If I told you a world without poverty is possible - would you believe me? I grew up in a family that faithfully attended a small Baptist church in the mountains...
The Resurrection Way Home
Just this week, our country’s Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an 81-page public health advisory for the latest epidemic to sweep our nation....
The Resurrection Way of Memory
Growing up, I spent many evenings fishing in the family pond. In fact, some of my fondest memories involve sitting, fishing pole in hand, beneath the same old...
The Resurrection Way of Surprise
read this week a story from Smithsonian magazine about a travel writer from the early part of the 1900s who loved to tell strange stories....
The Resurrection Way of Life
Over the past month or so, I’ve noticed an increase in the number of stories in our news and social media that reflect on the three covid-era years we’ve co...
Lessons Along the Way: Motion vs. Action
On the first day of his film photography class at the University of Florida, professor Jerry Uelsmann decided to do a semester-long experiment....
Lessons Along the Way: Finding the Good Path
Back in the summer of 2019, I traveled with our youth to Passport Camp. That year, Passport was held at my alma mater after all (go Paladins!), and any chance t...
Lessons Along the Way: Knowing Our Place
Jesus continues with his encouragement away from what distracts us from God’s kingdom here on earth and toward that which brings life....
Lessons Along the Way: Do Not Worry
We’re moving steadily through Jesus’ lessons along the way in the Sermon on the Mount, considering over these past weeks the things that capture Jesus’ im...
Lessons Along the Way: What’s at the Heart
“For Christians,” Frederick Buechner says, “to observe the forty days of Lent is to tithe for a holy use roughly a tenth of each year's days.”...
Lessons Along the Way: Shaping the Inner Life
It's Ash Wednesday, the day in our Christian year when we consider the truth of our finality and fragility: that 'from dust we came, and to the dust we shall re...