Sermon: "Use Your Words", Genesis 1:1 – 2:4a (September 7, 2025)

Those of you who’ve met my dog, Maya, on the occasions that I’ve brought her into work with me know that she can be a little…vocal. Her three natural states are chilling out on the couch (which is my preference), whining like she’s being criminally neglected, and barking to wake the dead. We’ve tried to teach her the “quiet” command; we’ve tried to respond to her softly and with calm energy; we’ve tried ignoring her until it stops - it just never does. Nothing works.

Liturgy: Creation by the Word, Genesis 1:1 -- 2:4a (September 7. 2025)

*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.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #18, “Hallelujah! Sing Praise to Your Creator”

Hymn GTG #24, “God, Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens”

Sermon: "Your Call", Revelation 21:1-6, 22:1-5 (August 31, 2025)

Today’s the last Sunday that we’ll spend in the book of Revelation for a while, thanks be to God, but at least we get to end on a high note. After 20 chapters of doom and gloom, we finally arrive at the payoff of this apocalyptic vision in chapters 21 and 22. The powers of evil are finally defeated, and for the first time, we feel a sense of hope - a new heaven and a new earth are coming!

Liturgy: A New Heaven and New Earth, Revelation 21:1-6; 22:1-5 (August 31. 2025)

   *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.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #375, “Shall We Gather at the River”
Hymn GTG #374, “O Holy City, Seen of John”

Hymn GTG #266, “Joy to the World”

Sermon: "A Modern-Day Mark", Revelation 13 (August 24, 2025)

I have to admit; I’m kind of curious about what’s going though everyone’s mind after the scripture reading today. It…paints a picture, doesn’t it? Although exactly WHAT picture it paints is certainty subject to debate. With its confusing yet oddly specific symbolism, chapter 13 is one of the most closely scrutinized passages in the book of Revelation. You may be familiar with some of the wild interpretations that people have come up with over the years; you might even have a favorite theory yourself: that this chapter is talking about the Roman Empire’s persecution of the early Church, that it predicts the cosmic “end times” in the distant future, or even that it’s prophetically describing present-day political figures – you know, those ones you personally can’t stand.

Liturgy: The Mark of the Beast, Revelation 13 (August 24, 2025)

  *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.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #707, “Take Thou Our Minds, Dear Lord”
Hymn GTG #839, “Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine”

Hymn GTG #822, “When We Are Living”

Sabbatical Thoughts from May 21

 A lot of the work that I've been doing on Sabbatical has been more internal than I expected, so I had the idea to create "highlight images" of some of the insights I've been gleaning to share with anyone who might be interested. I'll use this blog to provide a bit of context, if anyone is interested.

Here's one from earlier in the summer: