When the Song of the Angels Is Stilled By Howard Thurman When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and the princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flocks, the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost, to heal […]
Author Archives: paulrpurdue
God, our refuge and our strength, we feel the fierce urgency of the now. We long to save the soul of our nation.* We can not be satisfied with injustice- anywhere. We lift up those who endure excessive trials and tribulation. May your creative power redeem their suffering. In our struggles, keep us free from […]
Have you heard Heaven’s Voice speaking: “You are my child, my Beloved; I rejoice in you”? Do we believe the Good News that “God loves us” and that “God loves the world”? When Jesus was baptized, Jesus was praying. Jesus was praying and heaven itself opened up. The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus […]
“This will be a sign to you: a baby wrapped in rags and lying in the manger” As we hurry towards Christmas cheer, let us slow down and watch for angel’s signs. Ponder the holy mystery- the Creator dwelling with us- the newborn king sleeping in feedbox cradle. Tonight, Almighty God comes as vulnerable as […]
This week I bumped into Sarah Mcwhirt-Toler at Fido. After handing her my notarized shot record, she let me hold little 45 day old Francis. Pastoring has its privileges. I found the quietest space in the coffee shop and swayed with Francis looking at the lights, gazing out the windows, and trying to focus on […]
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Don’t say, ‘Hey, my name is on the church role.’ God can grow baptismal certificates like leaves on the magnolias outside our church. No! Live differently.” Who preaches like that? Who attends that church? Tom […]
On the day after Thanksgiving, Connie drove off for work from our Air B&B cabin at am. Our displaced dog anxiously nuzzled me awake, so we set off on a long predawn walk. The first rays of sunlight broke the horizon to dance on the glassy lake waters. As if called up by the light, […]
As a college student, I spent a summer in Minnesota working as a summer missionary. I had loved riding my bicycle in high school, so when one of our hosts offered the use of their very nice road bike, I decided to trade my daily run for a nice long ride. Minnesota in the summer […]
If we aim to live like Jesus, we must strive to master the art of forgiveness. A sermon usually explores only one part of complex ideas like love, grace forgiveness or hope. So, unless we take a few hours in a symposium,this sermon must leave a few strings untied. With that in mind, let me […]
Have you ever seen a photograph of a beautiful Cardinal or a brilliant Blue Jay perched on a branch eating a berry- perhaps, on a Christmas card? Hang onto that tranquil image as you imagine walking to your garden. It is early in the morning but late in the berry season. You come, coffee cup […]
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