Sermon: "Character Work", Genesis 22:1-14 (September 14, 2025)

This story from Genesis is a really disturbing one, particularly since the Narrative Lectionary has given it to us in the midst of an especially disturbing few weeks of violence in our country. The last thing that we want to encounter here in the safety and sanctity of worship is the story of a father willing to sacrifice his own son’s life without question. But here we are.

Most of us have been taught for decades that the point of this story is to show us what true faithfulness looks like, that this is the standard of trust in God we should all aspire to: we should be willing to sacrifice up to and including the lives of our own family - by our own hands - if God asks us to. But although this lesson is deeply ingrained in our theological understanding (indeed, it’s the only explanation some of us have ever heard for this story) many of us still struggle with it. We’re unable to reconcile this interpretation of Genesis 22 with the profound sense of unease that it provokes within us.

Sermon: “Unexcused Absence”, Leviticus 26:2-5, 10-20, 34-35, 40-45 (June 23, 2024)

As you all know, I’ve been directing a youth production of “James and the Giant Peach, Jr.” at Boise Little Theater this summer. This is my first time directing, and I’m learning most of it as I go – mostly that there’s a LOT to do. I’m responsible for shaping the whole show: I direct the actors, of course, but I also give feedback on the set design, lighting, costumes, props, sound, and so on. Fortunately, I have a wonderful team committed to making it all happen, but at the end of the day, it’s *my* vision that guides everything (which is all pretty daunting for a first-time director, to be honest).

Sermon: "Places, Everybody!", Jeremiah 1:4-10/Psalm 19:7-14 (February 3, 2019)

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Today in worship, we have a very full day ahead of us. We’re not only sharing Communion as we do every month, but we’re also ordaining and installing our new Deacons and Elders, which generally only happens once a year. It occurs to me that both of these events are celebrations of God’s call on our lives—Communion is a celebration of God’s call on all of us to draw closer into relationship with Christ, and Ordination is a celebration of God’s particular call on individual lives to specific ministries within the church. It’s pretty appropriate, then that the lectionary gave us this reading from Jeremiah where the prophet recounts his own call story. And every time I think about God’s call, it strikes me that there’s good news and there’s bad news.