Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (12/27/15)

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Galatians4:4-7

On Sunday, December 27th we rededicated the Condron Chapel at First United Presbyterian Church, Houston. Condron Chapel was built in the 1950s as part of an addition to the original church structure. In recent years it became clear that the chapel was in need of restoration. In 2015 the Session authorized the renovation of Condron Chapel, the Property Committee worked diligently to make decisions about the space, and then members of that committee did the bulk of the work to restore the chapel. The congregation was generous in its financial support of the project; the cross that adorns the wall behind the chancel (pictured) is the gracious gift of the family of Frances Wylie. This post includes the sermon that was preached on Sunday, as well as the prayers that were offered for the rededication of the chapel.

Christmas Eve Meditation (12/24/15)

Luke 2:1-20

A.C. Michael, originally published in the Illustrated News, January 9, 1915

In this message, we examine two stories about Christmas. One of these is the very familiar story of Jesus' birth that appears in the Gospel of Luke. The other is the story of the Christmas truce of 1914. During this truce, British and French soldiers got out of their trenches and celebrated Christmas with German and Austrian soldiers in no-man's-land. Read on to learn more about this story. 

Feed This Flock (12/20/15)

Micah 5:2-5a; Hebrews 10:5-10

 Photo courtesy of Haley Wallace

In this week's message, we look at two of my favorite things, Star Wars and stewardship. What does one have to do with the other? Read the sermon and find out!

The Way of Peace (12/6/15)

Elizabeth and Zechariah

Image retrieved from: http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54189

How do we find peace in troubled time? Escaping our troubles and finding inner peace (God's peace!) are two different things. In this message, we'll examine a song by Joni Mitchell, an episode of Seinfeld, and Zechariah's psalm of praise.

Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79

The Season of Expectations (11/29/15)

Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:25-36

Last week we celebrated the first Sunday of Advent and the sacrament of baptism. We talked about the uncomfortable nature of this season of watching and waiting; we also talked about the movie Talladega Nights.

Famous Last Words (11/22/15)

Christ before Pilate by Jacques Le Breton and Jean Gaudin.

Image retrieved from: http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/diglib-viewimage.pl

What does it mean to say that Christ is king? In this sermon, we explore that question and also our fascination with the biographies and the last words of famous leaders.

2 Samuel 23:1-7; John 18:33-37

Wars and Rumors of Wars (11/15/15)

Hebrews 10:11-25; Mark 13:1-8 

Last week was one of those weeks. I was in a bunch of meetings. Long meetings. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings. I officiated a funeral on Friday. I was beat. And then I heard the news from Paris. And Baghdad. And Beirut. I hope that I was able to speak a word or two of grace into a gloomy world.

What If We Give It Away? (11/8/15)

1 Kings 17:8-16; Mark 12:38-44

In this week's sermon I examine the stories of two faithful women: the widow of Zarephath and the widow who placed two small copper coins in the offering at the synagogue. This is a sermon about stewardship, identity, and the impermanence of material things. The picture above is my old fraternity house, taken a couple years before it was torn down. 

The Power of a Name (10/25/15)

On Sunday, October 25th, I celebrated the baptism of two babies: Dexter Robert Demian and Lennox Elias Stevens. Each child comes from a family with a long relationship with First United Presbyterian Church. These are the very first baptisms that I had the privilege to celebrate.

In this picture, I'm holding Dexter Demian. Clearly, I'm more excited about this than Dexter is. It's a day I'll never forget! The text of my sermon from that Sunday is included below.

Love, Humility, and Service (10/18/15)

This is me on October 31, 2015, right after I ran my very first race. In this sermon from October 18th, I offer some observations on my own running and the difficulties we all have when we try to be humble.

I Got a Name
The title of this sermon is taken from the Jim Croce song, "I Got a Name." This sermon discusses the story of David & Goliath, my own father, David Olson, and of course, the bagpipes.

God of Mercy, Hear Our Prayer (10/4/15)

Job 1:1, 2:1-10

This was a tough week to write a sermon. Yesterday was World Communion Sunday, and I would have preferred to write a message that tied what we do here in Houston to what Christians do all over the world. I wanted to do that, but there was yet another mass shooting in this country, this time in Oregon. Such events beg the question: Where is God in the midst of this tragedy?

I Do Not Pray for a Sandwich

This sermon is about prayer and how corporate prayer is at the center of all we do as a community. The text for this sermon is James 5:13-20. The title of this message is explained within.

When I was preparing this message, a read that at the beginning of the Reformation, Martin Luther did not want the Epistle of James to be included in Protestant editions of the Bible. Luther felt that James' statements about works and salvation ran counter to the Apostle Paul's doctrine of justification by faith. Luther would later change his mind about this epistle; in particular, Luther believed that James was entirely correct about the functions of prayer.

Welcome the Children, Welcome the Future

This was my second sermon at FUPC. The text for this message is Mark 9:30-37. We celebrated communion that Sunday. In this time of uncertainty in the congregation, I thought it was appropriate to look at this gospel reading in light of our most ancient and vital tradition, the Lord's Supper.

Love Is an Active Verb
This was my very first sermon at FUPC, Houston. My primary text was the Shema, Deuteronomy 6:4-5. I also used the New Commandment from John 13:12-17, 31b-35. I chose these readings because I thought they were particularly appropriate to the context for my ministry.

Houston, We Have a Blog

Hi, everyone! I created this blog as a space to post my sermons for First United Presbyterian Church (FUPC), Houston. I will also use this as a place for occasional observations on church life, ministry, or whatever else seems relevant to this space. Basically, if it’s too long for a Facebook post, I’ll probably put it here on the blog. Hope you enjoy it!