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Month: January 2021

Posted on January 30, 2021January 30, 2021 by Rev. James E. Laurence · 2 Comments

Teaching We Can Trust: My Sermon on Mark 1:21-28

[Jesus and his disciples] went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.Mark 1:21-22 In our modern world – or as some would say, our postmodern world – today’s gospel reading…

Posted on January 29, 2021January 28, 2021 by Rev. James E. Laurence · 9 Comments

Sunrise and Sunset at Sunset Beach

From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised.Psalm 113:3 My family and I were blessed to be able to spend last week at one of our favorite places - Sunset Beach, North Carolina. On this beach we were able to see both spectacular sunrises and amazing sunsets,…

Posted on January 27, 2021September 21, 2021 by Rev. James E. Laurence · 20 Comments

Why We Pray “Our Father”

The one who prays never prays alone.Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together When Jesus taught us to pray, he did not teach us to pray “My Father” but “Our Father.” Why? The reason is as powerful as it is simple: Because when we pray, we never pray alone. It is almost a certainty that whenever we pray…

Posted on January 26, 2021January 29, 2021 by Rev. James E. Laurence · 4 Comments

The Blessing We Seek

A sonnet inspired by the Beatitudes shared by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount.

Posted on January 25, 2021March 3, 2021 by Rev. James E. Laurence · 2 Comments

My Favorite Quotes – Thomas Merton

"The only unhappiness is not to love God." - Thomas Merton

Posted on January 23, 2021November 22, 2021 by Rev. James E. Laurence · 3 Comments

What’s So Special About John’s Gospel?

All four gospels are important to understanding the good news of Jesus, but what is important about John's Gospel? Here is my answer to that question, along with a brief overview of this gospel.

Posted on January 22, 2021January 21, 2021 by Rev. James E. Laurence · 4 Comments

Favorite Quotes – St. John of the Cross

In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.St. John of the Cross It always comes back to love, doesn't it? As it should! What I like about this particular quote is that it reminds me that God doesn't care about any of our other accomplishments, only how much we loved. But…

Posted on January 20, 2021April 5, 2021 by Rev. James E. Laurence · 4 Comments

Letters and Papers from Prison – Part 4

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's profoundly-moving letters from prison offer us guidance and hope as we live through this pandemic. Here is the last of my four-part series on his "Letters and Papers from Prison."

Posted on January 19, 2021March 1, 2021 by Rev. James E. Laurence · 6 Comments

Nonets of Faith, Hope, and Love

Nonets of Faith, Hope, and Love

Posted on January 18, 2021January 15, 2021 by Rev. James E. Laurence · 2 Comments

Favorite Quotes – Martin Luther King Jr.

It is love that will save our world and our civilization, love even for enemies.Martin Luther King Jr. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, here is a quote from a powerful sermon that he preached on loving our enemies. You can read his sermon here: Loving Your Enemies. The biblical text for his…

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