What Jacob Marley Would Do,

If He Could Do It…

         I thought about using the following for a benediction—since Jacob Marley was warning Scrooge about the danger of loving money and what it could buy.  Ends up with the Cantata and everything else going on, I didn’t have the time.  So here is what you might have heard if the sermon itself was 5 minutes shorter!

A Confirming Word on Old King Herod

          I just want to echo what Rick said in his fine sermon yesterday (Nov. 23).  Herod was a ruthless tyrant and skilled politician.  When the Magi don’t report back to him, he decides to kill all the male children of Bethlehem under the age of 2.  That’s one paranoid dude.

The Cars Are Looking for A King

          I don’t have a thing to add to Pastor Jessica’s excellent sermon this last Sunday.  The fable/parable she shared has been one of my favorites for all the lessons she pulled from it in her message.  I was playing around with my friend Chat GPT and after several abortive attempts, we came up with the following modernized version of Judges 9:7-15. 

Archived Posts

When I Don’t Get To Give My Benediction

          Yesterday’s sermon talked about how we are in the thrall of self-centeredness—caught in a system that rewards those who climb to the top, even when you have to climb on the back of others.  I talked about a famous sermon by Dr. Martin Luther King, ....

Some Good Quotes that I Didn’t Get To Last Sunday

          I have been working out of Adam Hamilton’s excellent book, Why Did Jesus Have to Die?  And when I find something that says what I want to say more succinctly and expressively than I can, I like to quote it... 

Good Stuff that Didn’t Make the Cut

          I liked what I’d put together below, but ran out of time to share in Sunday’s sermon.  Remember we were talking about the Old Adam and the New Adam, Jesus. 

One More Piece of Unsolicited Advice

     I had one too many examples yesterday.  Here’s the "Ask Pastor Tim" scenario that didn’t make the cut for Sunday’s sermon: (read more)

Not If, But When, the Crisis Comes

          One of the best Bible commentators alive today is N.T. Wright or Tom Wright.  When reflecting on the parable of the wise and foolish maidens, he wrote this:...