Text: Mark 6: 30-34, 53-56, Pentecost 8b It’s hard to believe, but summer is half over! Schools start back in less than a month. It’s even harder for me to believe that next Sunday will be my last day with you here at St. James, and what an amazing journey of mutual care and compassion this … More Jesus’ compassion is for us all -caregivers and care-receivers alike!

Text: Mark 6: 14-29 King Herod was shaking in his boots…. He made a terrible choice, a sin that caused him to feel ashamed, and he was sure his bad choice had come back to haunt him. “Who is this Jesus?” everyone was asking. Herod was convinced that the only explanation for his incredible power … More A Risky Discipleship: Preaching Repentance and Teaching Justice

SERMON Mark 4: 35-41 Pentecost 4b It’s been a grim week. Nine of our brothers and sisters in Christ were shot dead in church last Wednesday because their killer hated the perfect way God made them, hated their black skin, hated their black culture and the proud history of Emmanuel AME church in Charleston. I … More Now is not the time to “be still”

Text: John 17: 6-19, Easter 7b Did you know that YOU are a GIFT from God?! Jesus says this over and over and over again in one way or another throughout the 17th chapter of the gospel of John. In fact, the verb “to give” occurs 17 times in this chapter, more than anywhere else in … More “Given and Sent”

Text: Acts 8: 26-40 Easter 5b We’ve watched the city of Baltimore in flames this past week. Many of us have watched from a safe distance… Questioning the violence, questioning the protesting. In our household, we watched the riots this week with tears, seeing the deep pain of the people in the city we love … More God’s Call to Get in the Chariot with the Oppressed… in Baltimore and here in Gettysburg.

Text:  John 20: 19-31 Easter 2B For many, Easter represents the pinnacle of worship and Christian joy for the entire year. Let’s face it, Easter Sunday is the Superbowl of Worship! Many are ecstatic that Easter lasts not just 1 joyful day, but a whole season! Yet, for others, Easter morning isn’t enough. For some of … More Despair & Disbelief: The Easter Story for the Rest of Us

Text: John 12: 20-33 Lent 5b They just want to see Jesus! So, what’s the hold up? Why the delay? Why the layers of red tape? “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” The Greeks in our gospel text first went to Philip, then Philip went to Andrew, then both Philip and Andrew went to Jesus. … More When “All are Welcome” Isn’t Enough

Text:  Exodus 20: 1-17 Lent 3b The Ten Commandments: so basic, so well-known, so often overlooked as we read our Bibles! Everyone knows the ten commandments, the LAW, but it never hurts to go back to basics! I’d like to suggest that the Ten Commandments,  spoken to the newly freed people of Israel by God in … More God’s Gift of Sabbath Rhythm… The Command for Holy Rest

Text: Mark 9: 2-9 Transfiguration of Our Lord Year B So it’s Valentine’s weekend, when the secular world likes to turn its attention to all things “love.” And in the church this weekend, we’re celebrating the festival of the Transfiguration of our Lord and focus our attention on God’s great love for us and desire to … More Transfiguration as Divine Intimacy… the Christ who desires to know and be known by us!

Text:  1 Corinthians 8: 1-13 Do you have your ritual meal planned for tonight’s festivities? The chicken wings, the chips, the dip, the pizza…. All to sit down together and engage in the great American pastime- Competition! We LOVE to pick sides and root, root, root for our side to win. Whether you watch the … More “Diverse does not have to mean Divisive!”