THE FOURTH OF JULY AND HEALING THE AMERICAN SPIRIT I must confess that the Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. From my childhood, I have loved parades, outdoor grills, and fireworks. I never miss the Fourth of July Concert on the Capitol Mall on PBS and these days, the hometown bicycle parade, and the fireworks looking out to Nantucket Sound from Craigville Beach. I love the marching bands and music of the day – “The Star Spangled... Read more
The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost – July 11, 2021 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19; Psalm 24; Ephesians 1;3-14; Mark 6:14-29 Shall we dance this Sunday? Shall we celebrate emerging through the pandemic and hoping for future national transformation? Do you dance with God? Does your congregation’s worship inspire passion and ecstasy? Do you come to worship expecting great things from God and yourself? What happens when you dance to a different drum than God’s? Do our lives become destructive rather than... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – July 4, 2021 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 Psalm 48 2 Corinthians 2:2-10 Mark 6:1-13 In the United States, this Sunday marks the Fourth of July. It is also my final day as Sentior Pastor of South Congregational Church, Centerville, MA, on Cape Cod. The temptation is to focus on the nation and the congregation’s departing pastor. We can’t separate the affairs of the day – even national holidays or pastoral... Read more
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost – June 20, 2021 I Samuel 17: 1a, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49, Psalm 9:9-20, II Corinthians 6:1-13, Mark 4:35-41 Today’s readings involve the ability of persons to go against the odds when they realize that God is with them. In the storms of life, God our companions. Facing what we perceive to be impossible odds, we receive divine guidance and energy. Trusting God, we can do greater things than we can imagine. The impossible becomes possible... Read more
The Third Sunday After Pentecost – June 13, 2021 I Samuel 15:34-16:13 Psalm 20 II Corinthians 5:6-10, 16-17 Mark 4:26-34 Faith is a matter of perception and trust. Faith is a matter of vision. The eyes of faith see more than meets than eye. They open us to deeper levels of reality. When we faithful, we begin to see the world from God’s perspective and not just our own. We see the long haul, the moral and spiritual arc of... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday after Pentecost – June 6, 2021 I Samuel 8:4-20 Psalm 138 II Corinthians 4:13-5:1 Mark 3:20-35 Theologians have debated whether there are “two kingdoms,” operating by different values, the city of God and the city of human governments, or there is just one world in which we seek to embody God’s realm “on earth as it is in heaven.” While Luther championed the two kingdom approach, leading to self-transcendence, and indifference about history,... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – Trinity Sunday – May 30, 2021 Isaiah 6:1-8 Psalm 29 Romans 8:12-17 John 3:1-17 May 30 is the eve of Memorial Day in the United States. While pastors are not obligated to remember civil holidays or days celebrating mothers or fathers, it is always good for a preacher to know what time it is! On Memorial Day Weekend, I always make room for “America the Beautiful” and sometimes, if requested, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”... Read more
Pentecost Sunday – May 23, 2021 Acts 2:1-21 Ezekiel 37:1-14 Psalm 104:24-34, 35b Romans 8:22-27 John 15:25-26, 16:4b-15 Get ready for a holy adventure! Get ready to enter the spiritual twilight zone, to join the mystics and go one step beyond into the paranormal. Not the supernatural, because the natural world is more amazing than we think! Strap on your seat belt, put on your helmet, and get ready for a mighty wind or a persistent calling! Today, we celebrate... Read more
The Seventh Sunday after Easter – May 16, 2021 Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; Psalm 1; I John 5:9-13; John 17:6-19 Today’s readings are about the relationship between our prayers and our alignment with God’s vision. Belief and action are essential to Christian life. We must live out our faith in daily life. But our ability to live out our faith depends on spiritual depth and prayer may be the most definitive faith practice. Today’s readings assert that prayer changes things and... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 9, 2021 Acts 10:44-48 or Acts 10:1-24, 34-36, 44-48; Psalm 98; I John 5:1-6; John 15:9-1 The marquee sign of the historic Church of the Pilgrims in Washington DC proclaims, “where all are pilgrims and none are strangers.” I have adopted this same affirmation in my eight years of pastoring South Congregational Church, UCC, on Cape Cod. Yes, we are different in age, education, interests, personal history, professional, gender,... Read more
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