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Paul had a preacher’s style that comes through in his writing. Often, as here, he tells ’em what he’s going to tell ’em. Then he elaborates what he’s told ’em, and finally he tells ’em (...)

In this last Sunday of Advent, we circle back to the beginning of Romans, revisiting the themes that resound throughout the letter and culminate in Romans 15:4-13 (Advent 2). It is difficult to preach on (...)

Several years ago my pastoral duties included leading a short mid-week worship service at a local nursing home. One week almost all the patients present had some form of dementia. As I stumbled through the (...)

In this brief but extremely rich passage, Paul tells us that as Christians we are all “morning people.” The time is just before dawn, the sky is brightening, the alarm is ringing, day is at (...)

[This is Week 2 of a 4-week preaching series on Sacraments.] Baptism As often as not (and I am tempted to say too often) when we think about baptism (if we think about baptism at (...)

The epistle reading for today reminds us that the revelation of Jesus’ glory is so spectacular that it initiates the transfiguration of all who are in Christ. In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul claims that even (...)

Words. Whether we ponder them in our hearts or speak them for others to hear, publish them online or in texts to friends, scribble them onto shopping lists or adorn them with artistic flair, most (...)

Entering any text in Romans, in order to explore its preaching possibilities, is similar to entering a vast and highly-developed city. Romans is the flagship of Paul’s writings and his arguments and claims are both (...)

I was recently away from my family for over a week, and the family photo that is on my computer desktop was a constant companion. But the photo is only a shadow that anticipated the (...)

In the history of Christian interpretation of the Old Testament, few texts are more revered than Isaiah 53. The descending and ascending scales of Handel’s Messiah are embedded in the hearts and souls of many (...)