On Friday,  the sermon I sent to the staff did not begin with my sharing our United Methodist principals around abortion. It does today. In seminary a professor counseled us to read the church’s official statements during difficult seasons, because these statements offer collective wisdom often born by difficult deliberations, something we can never do […]

Once upon a time, a pastor was trying to describe the Mystery of the Trinity to a group of children in the three minute window her church allotted for a children’s moment. Our United Methodist Discipline describes the Holy Trinity in our Articles of Religion saying:  Article I — Of Faith in the Holy Trinity […]

God Emboldens Us June 5, 2022             Paul Purdue The second chapter of Acts reads like a creed or is it a poem?  When Pentecost arrived, the church was together. and they saw something like tongues of fire.  A tongue of fire alighted and rested over each one of them. […]

I had a nice sermon ready about Jesus’ Ascension- mystery and humbly looking for Jesus.  However, I awoke this morning at 4am, remembering that we are two years past George Floyd, two weeks past Buffalo and a few days past the terrible events in Texas. I felt the need to write a different sermon. The […]

Imagine yourself as Simon Peter about ready to lead the church. Peter may be the first Christian. The Gospels tell us Peter leaves behind his boats, nets, and fishing business to follow Jesus. For three years, Peter traveled from village to village with Jesus hearing Jesus preach. Like most first century believers Peter committed most […]

John’s Easter story begins, “While it was still dark Magdalene came to Jesus’ tomb.” Do you think Magdalene made her way while stars still filled the night sky? When did you last stand far enough away from electric lights to see the Milky Way’s star-dusty tail? Thousands of years ago, Abraham and Sarah gazed at […]

The Palm and Passion Sunday lectionary texts can almost jolt us. We start singing loud Hosannas and suddenly we gaze upon the cross.  This week, the mystery of Jesus Christ’s humanity and divinity comes into focus: God is crucified.  Charles Wesley asked, how can that be? “Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies! Who can explore […]

I just remember I was alone, hungry, and cold as I bowed my head over my lunch. I don’t remember where I was eating or even what I was having…maybe soup. Still, the lovely smell pulled my face closer towards the bowl; as I leaned in steam rolled up my face. Cognitive psychology tells us […]

Our passage begins “at that time” or, in the New Revised Standard version, “at that very hour”.  “At that very hour” invites us to keep in mind what comes before our passage. Jesus had been teaching and healing, moving from town to town making his way to Jerusalem, when someone asked, “Lord, will only a […]

 Lent begins the smudge of ashes right in the center of our foreheads. Ash on your forehead may garner weird looks. The ashes sometimes sprinkle down from our foreheads onto our nose, mask, or collar. Younger children may wonder if the ashes are hot?  They are not! Once I forgot to quickly wash my hands […]