Turn! Turn! Turn!

Turn! Turn! Turn! (8/28/16)

This is the sermon from my final Sunday in worship at First United Presbyterian Church, Houston. To say that I am sad to leave is an understatement. To say that I am happy for the time I spent in Houston would be an even greater understatement. On this day, my heart is filled with joy and gratitude!

Love Is the Highest Duty

Love Is the Highest Duty (8/21/16)

Jeremiah 1:4-10; Luke 13:10-17

"God Touches Jeremiah's Mouth," detail from the Winchester Bible

On Sunday, August 21st, I delivered one of my last sermons at FUPC, Houston. It's hard to believe that my journey here is nearly at its end. Yesterday we looked at one of Jesus' stops along his journey to Jerusalem, when he healed a crippled woman on the Sabbath.

People, Get Ready!

People, Get Ready! (8/7/16)

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20; Luke 12:32-40

Eugene-Joseph Verboeckhoven, Shepherdess with Her Flock

On August 7th, we examined Jesus' call to get ready for the coming of the Kingdom of God, our obsessions with our stuff, and a great song by Curtis Mayfield.

Storing Up Our Treasures (7/31/16)

Psalm 49:1-12; Luke 12:13-21

Rembrandt, Parable of the Rich Man

This past Sunday we heard the Parable of the Rich Fool. In this sermon, I examined the ways in which poverty and wealth can affect our faith, and how our possessions can make fools of us all.

Forgive Us Our Sins (7/24/16)

Psalm 138; Luke 11:1-13

He Qi, Knocking at the Door

As Christians, we are called to forgive those who have sinned against us. Yet it can be very difficult to practice forgiveness. We saw that on display during the Republican National Convention, as Ted Cruz refused to support the Republican nominee, Donald Trump. This sermon is not about any candidate or party; it is about the spiritual affliction that comes from the refusal to forgive. 

Who Is My Neighbor? (7/17/16)

Deuteronomy 30:9-14; Luke 10:25-37

Vincent van Gogh, Good Samaritan

On July 17th we considered the story of the Good Samaritan. Frankly, I think this parable is misnamed. A better title might be, The Merciful Samaritan. We are so familiar with the phrase "good Samaritan" that we think the two words go together naturally, but in Jesus' time nobody would have used those two words in the same phrase.

A Witness to the Resurrection of Marilyn Olson

Marilyn Olson, Mother's Day, 2016

On Saturday, June 25, 2016, we celebrated a service of witness to the resurrection of Marilyn Olson (my great-aunt) at Sewickley Presbyterian Church. On Wednesday, June 29th, we celebrated a graveside service in Jamestown, NY, where her remains were interred alongside my great-uncle, Ray Olson. What follows are the words of witness that I offered at the two memorial services, along with the recollection of a dream that I had on that Saturday morning.