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Organizing the World Quickly
The Yalta Conference, helmed by Allied leadership (Most notably Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin) came at the conclusion of hostilities in Europe during WWII. It dealt with a... -
liturgy
God—We’d like to have had a Hallmark
God—We’d like to have had a Hallmark card kind of week: gentle, quiet and serene, but it’s been anything but that. People died this week—and families and friends grieve. A man got bad news about cance... -
liturgy
I bless you with the sure knowledge
I bless you with the sure knowledge that Christ has paid the full price for your redemption, once and for all time. You are set free to be a blessing to all you meet this week, as you eagerly await Ch... -
liturgy
God of grace and glory, compassion and
God of grace and glory, compassion and power—Father, Son and Holy Spirit: You meet us right where we are at—not asking us to put on any masks, false fronts or airs. You love us just as we are while a... -
liturgy
God of wonder and strength, compassion,
God of wonder and strength, compassion, grace and love–all of which we see revealed through the power of a storm and its aftermath: You’re so big–and we’re so small. Your might is unlimited–ours is fi... -
liturgy
Adapted from Psalm 57:1-2; 61:1-3
Pastor: Heavenly Father, this morning as we worship in your presence, my mind settles on the fact that I have blown it. I’ve disobeyed your commandments, I’ve sinned so many times, and I have not love... -
illustration
Right-Wing Extremist or a Left-Wing Marxist
Sometimes a sermon can be a polarizing thing. Once I was preaching to a crowd of New Yorkers about how Christians should respond to the problem of poverty. I will never forget two e-mails that I recei... -
liturgy
God–our Father, Lord and indwelling
God–our Father, Lord and indwelling Spirit of grace and power: Thank you for hearing us when we pray whether in songs of rejoicing or through tears of sorrow. Thank you for gifts–for the gifts of musi... -
blog
We Are Citizens of One Kingdom
A Tree in Which to Perch An impressive California Sycamore tree used to grace our village. It rose majestically by the water’s edge, a few yards away from the wooden bridge that spans the lake whi... -
illustration
The Darkness of Epiphany: Herod’s Murdering of the Innocents
Presentations of the Matthean narrative that have had such an illustrious life in art and imagination are not complete without the disturbing involvement of Herod and the political killings that resul... -
liturgy
God of all mercies, Father Jesus and
God of all mercies, Father Jesus and our Father–You know us intimately ... and you still love us immensely. Therefore, we come confident of your welcoming embrace, your gracious attention and your lov... -
liturgy
I bless you with the knowledge and
I bless you with the knowledge and assurance that you cannot earn God’s love. No matter how far you run from Him in your search for freedom and pleasure; No matter how hard you try to earn his blessin... -
liturgy
Good and Gracious Lord, You hold us in
Good and Gracious Lord, You hold us in the palm of Your strong hand, working all things for our good and to Your glory. There’s no place we can go that escapes Your notice and is hidden from Your lovi... -
liturgy
Gracious God of love–Father, Son and
Gracious God of love–Father, Son and Holy Spirit: We are grateful that You’ve revealed yourself to us, telling us that each of us are loved by You as children, each precious in Your sight, each a refl... -
blog
The Humanity of the Stranger: the Samaritan in the Israel/Gaza Crisis
Compassion does not demand that we know who is right and who is wrong. In fact, it does not ask for us to know anything at all about [people] except the fact that they are in need. As I facilitated... -
illustration
The Economics of Child-Sponsorship
While I was at a concert in college, I responded to a flyer requesting volunteers to sponsor a child overseas. For years I read the letters from this little girl in El Salvador. Ruth seemed happy to b... -
Quote
A politician needs the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen. -
illustration
Carrying a Human-Sized Weight Around
In May 2018, in a Connecticut hospital, a group of twelve surgeons worked for five hours to remove a tumor from the abdomen of a thirty-eight-year-old woman. That may seem like a lot of doctors and a ... -
illustration
A Jubilee Church
From the outside Calvary Church in Holland, Michigan, looks like a typical large church that many Americans attend. The church developed the typical way: it started small and then began to grow. As th... -
liturgy
Faithful God–Father, Son and Holy
Faithful God–Father, Son and Holy Spirit: You are always there in times of transition or trial, times of uncertainty and anxiety, or times of accomplishment and celebration. You do not leave us nor fo... -
liturgy
Loving God: Abba—our Father; Jesus—our
Loving God: Abba—our Father; Jesus—our Savior; Spirit—our Comforter. As Advent begins ... we take a deep breath, we grit our teeth and steel our nerves anticipating the fast pace of the next few week... -
illustration
Packing for Passage on the Mayflower
Many of us struggle to know exactly what to pack when we go on our various travels. The Pilgrims in their voyage to the new world were no different. As Bill Bryson describes in his book Made in Americ... -
blog
Ash Wednesday - Turning to God in Crisis
A World in Chaos At the risk of sounding dramatic, both the U.S. and the world seem to be reaching a level of chaos unmatched since 9/11. The confusion and shifting loyalties, not to mention the 26,0... -
liturgy
Treasure in our Hearts
Pastor: Almighty God, we give thanks for all Your goodness and bless You for the love that sustains us from day to day. People: We praise You for the gift of Your Son, our Savior, in whom ... -
liturgy
Father-God, our burden bearer; Jesus,
Father-God, our burden bearer; Jesus, God the Son and lover of our souls; Spirit of God–giver of life and power: Thank You! Thank You for those we love and those who love us. Thank You for mothers and... -
blog
What It Takes to Birth a Multi-Ethnic Church and a Just Mission
A House for All People Every summer my church hosts a week-long summer camp where children experience the beauty and majesty of the Lord. The first year we sent our daughter to it, she loved it and l... -
blog
Independence Day Special Liturgy
Independence Weekend Prayer for Unity VOICE ONE — Psalm 133 How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the b... -
illustration
Goliath on the Beach
A few weeks ago, when I was out surfing, there was no one else in the water. In fact, there was no one around at all, except a guy the size of Goliath doing tae kwon do on the beach. After I’d been ou... -
illustration
The Death of Christendom
In one generation, the place of Christianity within culture dramatically shifted as we experienced what theologians and sociologists of religion call the “death of Christendom.” Christendom isn’t Chri... -
illustration
The Gospel Torn in Two
A few weeks after our Christmas at the DPAC, I visited Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church, a quaint chapel one town over from Durham in Hillsborough, North Carolina. This place was never a megachurch, b...
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D
- Danger
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E
- Easter
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F
- Face of God
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G
- Gardening
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H
- Half-Truths
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I
- Identity
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K
L
- Labor Day
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- The Law
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M
- Magnificat
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N
O
P
- Pacifism
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- Palm Sunday
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- Parenting
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- Partisanship
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R
- Race
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S
- Sabbath
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- Set Free
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T
- Tabernacle
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U
W
- The Weak
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- Waiting
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Genesis
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Psalm
- Ps 2 (5)
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- Ps 27 (5)
- Ps 29 (1)
- Ps 30 (2)
- Ps 31 (3)
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- Ps 34 (19)
- Ps 37 (3)
- Ps 38 (1)
- Ps 42 (2)
- Ps 43 (1)
- Ps 46 (10)
- Ps 47 (2)
- Ps 51 (8)
- Ps 56 (2)
- Ps 57 (2)
- Ps 61 (3)
- Ps 62 (2)
- Ps 66 (1)
- Ps 68 (1)
- Ps 71 (3)
- Ps 72 (4)
- Ps 73 (1)
- Ps 75 (1)
- Ps 82 (14)
- Ps 84 (2)
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- Ps 86 (1)
- Ps 88 (1)
- Ps 89 (3)
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- Ps 95 (1)
- Ps 96 (1)
- Ps 98 (4)
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- Ps 103 (7)
- Ps 106 (1)
- Ps 112 (1)
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- Ps 121 (7)
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- Ps 138 (2)
- Ps 139 (6)
- Ps 145 (6)
- Ps 146 (5)
- Ps 147 (5)
- Ps 148 (1)
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Isaiah
- Isa 1 (30)
- Isa 2 (7)
- Isa 5 (3)
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- Isa 11 (2)
- Isa 25 (1)
- Isa 26 (3)
- Isa 28 (1)
- Isa 29 (1)
- Isa 30 (2)
- Isa 32 (2)
- Isa 33 (2)
- Isa 40 (10)
- Isa 41 (16)
- Isa 42 (4)
- Isa 43 (2)
- Isa 44 (1)
- Isa 45 (2)
- Isa 46 (1)
- Isa 49 (1)
- Isa 51 (2)
- Isa 53 (6)
- Isa 55 (3)
- Isa 56 (1)
- Isa 57 (4)
- Isa 58 (10)
- Isa 59 (2)
- Isa 60 (4)
- Isa 61 (12)
- Isa 65 (1)