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.