"The only unhappiness is not to love God." - Thomas Merton
My Favorite Quotes – Thomas Merton
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.
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…
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."
Nonets of Faith, Hope, and Love
Nonets of Faith, Hope, and Love
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…
Jesus, Our Ladder: My Sermon on John 1:43-51
Jesus makes a remarkable promise in John 1, to Nathanael and to all of us, that Jesus would fulfill the promise first made to Jacob in Genesis 28. Here is my sermon on John 1:43-51.
As We Suspend In-Person Worship (Again)
Because of rapidly rising COVID numbers in our community, our congregation made the difficult decision to suspend in-person worship services for the next four Sundays. Here are some remarks that I shared with our congregation in light of this decision.
The Meaning in the Waiting
Sometimes, the poet R.S. Thomas reminds us, the meaning is in the waiting. Here is a poem, prayer, psalm, and promise featuring the poem, "Kneeling," by R.S. Thomas.
Favorite Quotes – Thomas à Kempis
We should so root ourselves in God that we do not need to look for comfort anywhere else. Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ As I continue sharing some of my favorite quotes, here is a quote from what is probably the single most important book in my spiritual formation (outside of the Bible,…
My Pastoral Ponderings 