This post originally was delivered as a sermon for the Third Sunday of Easter at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Enid, Okla., Sunday, 15 April, 2018. Readings are from the Revised Common Lectionary Year B. Mr. Ralph Alsman, of Brookville, Ind., was by most standards an unremarkable man. The 25 year-old man led a fairly normal … Continue reading Finding our identity in Christ
Faith
Stephen Ministry: Expanding the church’s reach
ENID, Okla. — “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” That verse, Galatians 6:2, describes the Stephen Ministries mission to organize and train lay ministers to “provide one-to-one Christian care to hurting people in and around the congregation,” the group’s website states. Stephen Ministries is a group … Continue reading Stephen Ministry: Expanding the church’s reach
Focusing on our common bonds in Christ
Christians have worked for 500 years to break up and diminish the Body of Christ. From the wars of Reformation and Counter-Reformation to centuries of hatred, persecution and misunderstanding between our various (and many) denominations, Christianity over the last half-millennium has struggled to be a cohesive faith with a unified message. We’ve made great strides … Continue reading Focusing on our common bonds in Christ
Our call, beyond the tomb
He is risen. Those three simple words tell us the meaning of Easter. Christ was crucified. Christ is risen. After suffering death on the cross and descending to the dead, Jesus conquered death, rose again and forever opened the door for us to follow him out of the grave. The first evangelism of Christ’s resurrection … Continue reading Our call, beyond the tomb
King’s struggle remains relevant
America paused Wednesday to remember Martin Luther King Jr. on the 50th anniversary of his assassination. It’s good to honor MLK. But, too often, we confine him to sentimental memory. A great man, dead too soon. With our obligatory honor paid, we box up the injustices against which Dr. King fought, and file them away … Continue reading King’s struggle remains relevant
Co-opting Christ
The role of religion in American politics is nothing new, nor is its history confined to one party. Clergy have played active roles in numerous political movements of the “left,” perhaps most famously in the Civil Rights movement championed by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And, there have been no shortage of outlets … Continue reading Co-opting Christ
Good Friday: A time to walk with Christ
The day has come. Good Friday. The day our Lord was crucified. We tend to skip quickly over this part of the story, because we know the end of the story. And that end is beautiful. We rush to see the empty tomb, and to revel in Easter. That is wonderful. But, we’re not there … Continue reading Good Friday: A time to walk with Christ
Surrender to trust
There is perhaps no greater force drawing us away from God’s love than our fear. Our regrets over the past are fears of inadequacy, and for our place in this world. Our longing for the past is based in the fear that our best is behind us. Our anxieties over the future represent innumerable fears … Continue reading Surrender to trust
Fasting: our Lenten call to action
Most of us start Lent asking ourselves, or being asked, what we will give up. This act of giving something up – a favorite food, a frivolous pastime or common distraction – is all many people know of Lent, and can broadly be categorized as fasting. The practice of fasting is an ancient and important … Continue reading Fasting: our Lenten call to action
Searching our hearts for Jonah
Wednesday in the First Week of Lent "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" Jonah’s warning to the Ninevites – after his unsuccessful attempt to run from God, and his three-day encounter with a rather large fish – rings as true to us today as it did some 2,800 years ago. There’s some obvious … Continue reading Searching our hearts for Jonah
