They didn’t train us for this in seminary. And by this, I don’t mean pastoring through a global pandemic, or becoming video producers or online educators. Although most of us didn’t know much about that before the COVID-19 quarantine, so we’re all learning on the job, no?
No nos entrenaron para esto en el seminario. Y no … Read the rest
Continue reading "Holy Fracture/Santo Fracaso" »
“Unbind him, and let him go,” said Jesus to Lazarus who had just emerged from the tomb. That’s from the 11th chapter of John’s Gospel. And then from the 20th chapter: “Do not hold on to me” said Jesus to Mary Magdalene when he himself had emerged from the tomb. While our Christian scriptures insist—from beginning … Read the rest
Continue reading "Once, and for All" »
“Rabbi, who sinned, that we are all in quarantine?” The Chinese? The Europeans? Fox News?
We mostly don’t ask that kind of question anymore, at least not of our religious leaders. Exactly nobody has asked me whose sin caused the Novel Corona Virus epidemic, although a few people have asked me if we are living in the end … Read the rest
Continue reading "What's the Question?" »
Did you know that the two most common stress dreams for North Americans are showing up unprepared for the test, and being naked in public? I bet just my mention of those dreams makes a few of us feel anxious, because they are such unsettling experiences. I haven’t had a stress dream for a while, because the last … Read the rest
Continue reading "Pass/Fail" »
I can still remember the first time somebody gave me salted fruit. I was visiting a pineapple plantation in Nicaragua, and the grower cut a fresh ripe pineapple in the field. He sliced it into these bright tantalizing spears, and my mouth was watering for the tang. I was just about to take the slice from his hand … Read the rest
Continue reading "The Law and the Little" »
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
Continue reading "Light Bearers" »
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
Continue reading "Repent: Change Your Mind" »
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
Continue reading "Called to Love" »
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
Continue reading "What Next, Wilderness?" »
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
Continue reading "Here to There" »