Sunday, July 12, 2026

Sermon: “Stay (A)woke”, Mark 14:32-42 (July 12, 2026)

As we near the end of our sermon series about “disputing with God”, we’ve been given this text, Mark’s version of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane. It’s pretty clear why this passage wound up in the series: I can’t think of a more intriguing sermon topic than “God arguing with Godself”. I’m sure we’ve all wondered at some point how a prayer from one person of the Trinity to another would work - is it like talking to yourself? Or is it more like a “multiple personality” situation? How can something be both not what Jesus wants, and also what God does want at the same time? There are a lot of fascinating directions that this sort of sermon could take. But as I wrestled with which of these questions I should tackle this week, I found an entirely different one distracting me: why are the disciples reacting SO differently from Jesus in this passage?

Wednesday, July 8, 2026

Liturgy: Jesus in Gethsemane, Mark 14:32-42 (July 12, 2026)

   *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*


Hymns
Hymn GTG #451, “Open My Eyes, That I May See”
Hymn GTG #220, “Go to Dark Gethsemane” [vv. 1, 2, & 4]
Hymn GTG #343, “Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life” [vv. 1-3, 6]


Sunday, July 5, 2026

Sermon: "The Deepest of Wounds", Matthew 15:21-28 (July 5, 2026)

This weekend (this whole year, really) our country has been celebrating 250 years of independence from British rule - the “birthday” of the United States. But even as we display our sense of national pride with waving flags, parades, and red, white, and blue EVERYTHING, many of us hold our sense of patriotism alongside complicated feelings. It’s not that we don’t love our country; it’s that we recognize a deep and painful divide between ourselves and our fellow compatriots. The wound is deep. Our seemingly insurmountable differences make us question whether we’ll be able to be “one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” ever again.

Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Liturgy: A Canaanite Woman Confronts Jesus, Matthew 15:21-28 (July 5, 2026)

  *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*


Hymns
Hymn GTG #620, “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven”
Hymn GTG #754, “Help Us Accept Each Other”