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.

The Journey to Jerusalem (6/26/16)

Galatians 5:1, 13-25; Luke 9:51-62

James Tissot, Looking Back--the Man at the Plow

This Sunday we continued to focus on our desire to see God's judgment visited upon others. We examined the ways in which Jesus practices grace, rather than judgment. We also examined the freedom that we have in and through Christ.

Mercy and Love Beyond All Understanding (6/19/16)

Isaiah 65:1-9; Luke 8:26-39

James Tissot, Jesus, the Gerasene, and the Unclean Spirits

In the wake of national tragedies, we often feel isolated, angry, and scared. And when we feel like this, we are tempted to lash out at folks who disagree with us or who don't believe as we do. When we cast our judgment on those who offend us, we forget that God alone has the power to judge.

Compassion and Grace (6/5/16)

1 Kings 17:17-24; Luke 7:11-17

James Tissot, Raising of the Son of the Widow of Nain

In this week’s sermon, we acknowledge the loss of two members of the community of faith at FUPC, Houston: Ed Snyder and Pat Westwater. We consider the question of suffering and how a merciful God could allow a faithful person to suffer. We also celebrated the Lord's Supper, an ever-present reminder of God's compassion and grace.

Are You Listening? (5/15/16)

Genesis 11:1-9; Acts 2:1-21

Altarpiece, Church of the Holy Spirit, Singapore

Some Bible stories are so familiar that we fail to hear them with an appropriate sense of wonder. And some stories seem very quaint; they don't fit with our modern, scientific mindset. This is certainly the case with the story of Pentecost. The tongues of fire are strange and hard to believe, but this is a really important story. It's worth taking a closer look.

United In Christ’s Love (5/8/16)

Acts 16:16-34; John 17:20-26

With my mother, Kay Olson, on the night of my graduation

from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, June 6, 2014

It seems that I've fallen behind in posting my sermons. This is the sermon that I preached on Mother's Day. In this sermon I discussed our spiritual mother, the Church, and how we must work to share Christ's love and peace within the Church and outside of our churches, too.

A New Commandment (4/24/16)

Acts 11:1-18; John 13:31-35

Peter's Vision, Stained glass from the Church of St. Peter, Nottingham, UK

 I drew my title for this Sunday's message from the Gospel of John, but if I'd waited until Thursday night to write my title, I probably would have borrowed the title of a song by Prince, though I'm not sure which song I'd have used. And if I felt a little more confident about the fair use of images, I probably would have used a picture of Prince for this blog post, as it would probably get me more page views. But alas, I'm too afraid of running afoul of copyright and fair-use rules.

The Road to Damascus (4/10/16)

Acts 9:1-6; John 21:1-19

Benjamin West, The Conversion of St. Paul

Last Sunday we examined two different types of conversion stories: Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus and Jesus' appearance to the disciples after a long night of fishing. In each case, Jesus call is clear: "Follow me!"

Come! Live in the Light! (3/27/16)

Luke 24:1-12; Acts 10:34-43

Qi He, Empty Tomb

My sermon title this morning comes from one of my favorite hymns, "Come! Live in the Light! (We Are Called)," which we sang in worship. I drew my Easter message from Acts, because I wanted to focus on what it means to live in the love and the knowledge of the resurrection.  

What Wondrous Love Is This? (3/20/16)

Luke 19:28-40; Luke 23:1-49

Wilhelm Morgner, The Entry of Christ into Jerusalem

 I had trouble deciding on my texts for Palm Sunday. Should I go with the story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem or should I preach on the Passion story? I chose both. This week's message looks at the connections between those two stories.

Both Sides, Now (3/13/16)

Isaiah 43:16-21; Philippians 3:4b-14

Nicholas Mynheer, Flight into Egypt

Sometimes I pull my sermon titles from pop songs. I'm a big fan of Joni Mitchell and there's a lot to chew on in her songs, and it seems especially appropriate during Lent, as we reflect on change and loss in the church. I also offer some reflections on the passing of a good friend of my family, the late John McCreight.

Come to the Waters (Have Patience) (2/28/16)

Isaiah 55:1-9; Luke 13:1-9

Ludovico Mazzolino, Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

When we think of what church used to be like, 20-30 years ago, we remember everything that was good and we tend to forget the problems. Now that church no longer looks like it used to, it seems like the problems are the only things we see. In this sermon, we explore some of the reasons that we have difficulty seeing new things that are going on around us.

Heavenly Expectations (2/21/16)

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Philippians 3:17-4:1

Paul Klee, Rising Star

Well, I guess it's been a little while since the last time I posted a sermon to my blog. The good news is, I survived Lent, Holy Week, and Easter. And now that I'm rising out of my post-Easter fog, it's time to clear out this backlog of sermon content. Throughout Lent, my sermons have explored the questions of our identity as a congregation at FUPC, Houston.

Are You Pruned? (2/14/16)

Romans 10:8b-13; Luke 4:1-13; John 15:1-2

Jacques Joseph Tissot, Temptation in the Desert

Sometimes we oversimplify the Scriptures. Yes, some messages are consistent and simple: God created us in love and God loves us completely. That's pretty simple. But sometimes we need to pull back a bit and examine the context of a story. That's certainly the case with this week's readings from Romans and Luke.

Ash Wednesday Meditation (2/10/16)

Michel Drolling, Alms to the Poor

On Ash Wednesday I offered a brief meditation on the season of Lent. My primary text was Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21.

Mountaintop Experiences (2/7/16)

Exodus 34:29-35; Luke 9:28-36

JESUS MAFA Project, Transfiguration

On Transfiguration Sunday I examined the account of the transfiguration in the Gospel of Luke and I offered a story from my own faith journey.

Mysterious Transformations (1/24/2016)

1 Cor. 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21 

Jan Polack, Christ Preaching in the Temple

My apologies for the delay in posting this. I was on vacation from January 25th through the 30th, so I'm a bit behind on my postings. On Sunday, January 24th, we considered the life and work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and how that relates to our understanding of reconciliation in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Deserve’s Got Nothing to Do with It (1/17/2016)

Isaiah 62:1-5; John 2:1-11

The Miracle at Cana, St. James Catholic Church, London

On Sunday we ordained and installed Ruling Elders and Deacons. I preached on the Wedding at Cana and instead of wearing my clerical robe, I wore my Hines Ward jersey (with my liturgical stole, of course). Was this appropriate attire for the pulpit? Was I showing too much team spirit? Or was I trying to make a theological point? Read on to find out. 

The Baptism of the Lord (1/10/2016)

Isaiah 43:1-7; Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Baptism of Christ, mosaic, detail, from Ravenna Baptistery, Ravenna, Italy

On Sunday, January 10th we observed the Baptism of the Lord. We examined what it means to be baptized into Christ's life, work, death, and resurrection.

The Greatest Gift (1/3/2016)

Psalm 147:12-20; John 1:1-18 

God hovers over the water and creates light; detail from a mosaic in the Capella Palatina di Palermo, Italy

On Sunday, January 3rd, we celebrated communion and worshiped in Condron Memorial Chapel. On that morning, we listened to the prologue to the Gospel of John and we discussed the importance of writing ourselves into the story of creation and re-creation.