Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-7 Some of you may recall back in 2015 when the New York Times ran an obituary of Adele Morales. Morales was a gifted painter and actress who during her lifetime enjoyed a distinguished career in the arts. She was also the mother of two daughters and two granddaughters, and she lived to be [Read More…]
The End and the Beginning (Trinity Sunday)
June 11, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Matthew 28:16-20 “And some doubted.” This may just be my favorite Bible verse of all time. Recall that as they gathered up on the mountaintop that day, the disciples had been through three years of Jesus’ teaching and leadership, his arrest, the betrayal of some of their closest friends, and Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. [Read More…]
You Can Never Go Home Again
June 6, 2017 by Leave a Comment
You know the saying that goes, “You can never go home again”? The phrase was running through my mind as I drove the four hours from New York to Washington, DC last weekend to attend the installation of Rev. Maria Swearingen and Rev. Sally Sarratt at Calvary Baptist Church. I’m so delighted for that amazing [Read More…]
Learning to Listen (Pentecost Sunday)
June 4, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Genesis 11:1-11 I know that extra room in a Manhattan apartment is unusual, so I’m well aware of how fortunate I am to live in a space with a little study that turns into a guest room. Of late, this has been more of a guest room than a study. Several friends and a sister [Read More…]
Strong Leadership and ‘Making Straight What Has Been Crooked”
May 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Our news feeds have been filled with depressing stories lately of leaders who demonstrate marked lack of principle in their quest to keep or regain power or popularity or position. I suppose that’s why I was so shocked to read about a tremendous act of leadership last week by New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. Facing [Read More…]
Never Alone
May 21, 2017 by Leave a Comment
John 14:15-21 In the summer of 1984, everyone I knew was preoccupied with the blockbuster summer movie: Ghostbusters. In addition to sporting a very catchy theme song, the movie was the hilarious story of three unemployed paranormal psychology professors starting a business to help people deal with ghosts or spirits causing problems in their lives. [Read More…]
Sad, Scared, and Stingy
May 14, 2017 by Leave a Comment
John 14:1-14 While other girls in my elementary school wore their brownie uniforms: jumpers with tall knee socks and a wide sash across the chest with various patches affixed to it, and attended meetings with the older Girls Scouts on Tuesday afternoons, I instead went to AWANA on Thursday nights. Those of you who grew [Read More…]
Caring for Creation: Idea or Action?
May 9, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Recently The Riverside Church announced our intention to divest our $140 million endowment over the next five years from the Carbon Underground 200 — the top 200 publicly traded fossil fuel companies. This decision was the culmination of a careful and intentional two-year process of deliberation and communal discernment. This all sounds so virtuous, but [Read More…]
Signs of Life: Clue
April 30, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Luke 24:13-35 Today is the third Sunday of Easter, a whole season celebrating resurrection. It makes sense that this would require a whole season, not just one day, since getting our minds and our hearts around the reality of new life is rather counter-intuitive for us. We’re used to endings and decay and death. Some [Read More…]
Signs of Life
April 23, 2017 by Leave a Comment
John 21:1-19 What are you supposed to do after resurrection? I mean, really. What are you supposed to do after everything you know about life changes? We’re one week away from resurrection, so it’s natural to ask the same question the disciples were asking each other. Now what? Well, they didn’t know. They didn’t know [Read More…]
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