Julia McCray-Goldsmith, Author at LiftUpYourHearts

Light Bearers

I have a long commute from Berkeley to San Jose every day—I think you know that—and I confess that I struggle to find the holiness of the freeway. I know it’s there. Just last week Matthew’s Jesus reminded us that the kingdom of heaven has come near. And I really do believe that is equally true everywhere. So if … Read the rest

Repent: Change Your Mind

Epiphany 3A

My friends, repent. For the kingdom of heaven has come near. What a great invitation to our annual meeting!

That kingdom of heaven thing; it sounds like a good idea, no? But since it’s one of those many church-ey phrases that we don’t really use in everyday conversation, I found myself curious about what it might mean. Matthew … Read the rest

Called to Love

Epiphany 2A

There’s a popular adage, “do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” I did a bit of online research and discovered that this was almost certainly not said by Confucius, despite many such attributions. It was also likely not said first by Harvey Mackey or Marc Anthony. In fact, nobody seems to know … Read the rest

What Next, Wilderness?

Baptism of Christ A

How do you write a sermon when you don’t know what’s happening next? Full disclosure, I usually start working on sermons at least a week in advance, sometimes more. I like to have at least that much time to savor the appointed scripture readings; Bible study is really one of my favorite ways to spend time. … Read the rest

Here to There

Christmas Eve

On the border between Berkeley and Oakland, there is a public art installation that consists of eight foot tall steel letters that spell “here” and “there”. Berkeley being the here, and Oakland being the there. Perhaps it was meant as a rejoinder to Gertrude Stein’s famous statement about Oakland: “there’s no there there”. But the artist is silent … Read the rest

Righteous to be Wrong

Advent 4A

Joseph appears to be a bit player in the grand drama of the incarnation. We only hear about him in church every third year, when the lectionary highlights Matthew’s birth narrative. He did not contribute biologically to Jesus’ conception in the conventional way—at least as far as we know—and he did not make lasting prophetic utterances like the … Read the rest

Are You The One?

Advent 3A

“Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” That question simply breaks my heart. Dear wild-eyed John the Baptist, eating bugs and baptizing by the river and generally exacting a harsh sentence upon himself in order to make straight the way of the Lord. But even if his self-discipline was severe, … Read the rest

Dressed in Truth

Advent 2A

In this, the second Sunday of Advent, the church traditionally remembers the prophets. Scripture names them and records their words—in this case, Isaiah and John and Baptist—but they’re really prophets because people recognized their wisdom to challenge the status quo. You probably know this, but it’s worth repeating: Biblical prophecy is not so much about predicting the future … Read the rest

Awakened in Time

Advent 1A

Last Monday my father and stepmother flew into town to share Thanksgiving with us. I went to SFO planning to pick them up, but I inadvertently made them wait. Or rather, Southwest airlines made us all wait. And for an unexpectedly good reason. Their flight had departed late from Denver, so Dad called to let me know he’d … Read the rest

Gracious Words, Gracious Way

Proper 28C

“They will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.”
“You will be hated by all because of my name.”
“You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of

… Read the rest