First Presbyterian Church of Grinnell

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69536075262359703062012-01-23T11:46:14.245-06:00First Presbyterian Church of GrinnellQnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-30355324779222907512012-01-23T11:46:00.000-06:002012-01-23T11:46:14.297-06:00Grab On!

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Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-12904425859726737762012-01-01T09:44:00.003-06:002012-01-01T09:44:54.102-06:00All Are Welcome

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Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-763023108896429032011-12-25T06:42:00.000-06:002011-12-28T06:47:42.468-06:00Just a Little Story

Isaiah 9:2-7; Matthew 1:18-25 Christmas Morning: December 25, 2011 Christmas falls on a Sunday about every six years. And it usually leaves the pastor in kind of a quandary. Everyone has already heard the Christmas story on Christmas eve…we’ve got it already. No need to come back the next day and hear it all over again, right? Clearly, that idea is not lost on many people J. So,

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-87113004860800942082011-12-19T06:46:00.000-06:002011-12-28T06:46:54.479-06:00Advent Love

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Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-9233428056871921622011-12-12T06:45:00.000-06:002011-12-28T06:45:54.501-06:00Advent Joy

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Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-31632978484088598252011-12-05T10:34:00.001-06:002011-12-05T10:34:29.187-06:00Advent Peace

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Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-59584415245661065772011-11-27T11:00:00.000-06:002011-11-29T11:02:10.600-06:00Advent Hope

Mark 13:24-37First Sunday of Advent: November 27, 2011Friday night, the day after Thanksgiving, downtown Cedar Falls, had a huge festival to celebrate the start of the Christmas season – it was called, “Christmas palooza,” or some such thing. We took Lydia down – and it was magical…at least in her eyes. There were lights and music, Santa arrived by helicopter and then led a parade down to the

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-39342156663538059902011-11-14T11:08:00.001-06:002011-11-14T11:08:39.496-06:00The Rest of the Story

Matthew 25:14 – 30November 13, 2011Fair warning: This sermon will not fall within the mainstream of interpretations of this passage (I know you are shocked that I would ever fall outside the mainstream). There are some common assumptions about this passage and what it means that I want to challenge, but I do so with great humility. I had some help from a couple of colleagues and some good

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-52610775636068784352011-10-30T11:35:00.000-05:002011-11-02T11:35:32.165-05:00Blessed

Matthew 5:1-12All Saints Day: October 30, 2011I have, my whole life – well maybe not my whole life…probably only since I was about 6 – made fun of my mother for being the world’s foremost “Pollyanna”. I’m not kidding – she can find a silver lining in every situation. It drives me nuts. And I’m not alone – it’s a family pastime to make fun of her for this. But consider this in our defense: I

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-89715391631081360422011-10-16T10:07:00.000-05:002011-10-17T10:12:19.710-05:00Where Shall I Live?

Matthew 22:15-22October 16, 2011I got a letter home from preschool a couple of weeks ago that was talking about Grinnell Homecoming. That whole week there were going to be activities and special days in celebration of homecoming. On Monday they were supposed to wear goofy socks, on Tuesday Hawaiian shirts, on Friday they were supposed to wear orange and black, of course.Before I read the whole

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-33388715446103212002011-10-02T10:09:00.000-05:002011-10-03T10:10:45.366-05:00A Harvest of Justice is Sown in Peace

James 3:13-18; Matthew 21:33-46Peacemaking and World Communion Sunday: October 2, 2011When I was in college, I was given a bumper sticker – I don’t remember who gave it to me – but I loved it immediately, and I’ve internalized ever since. It said: “If you want peace, work for justice.” It made sense to me: You can’t have peace if people are oppressed – if injustices exist.All these years I’

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-86039347461760687152011-09-25T10:12:00.000-05:002011-10-03T10:12:57.352-05:00Who Did You Say?

Matthew 21:23-32September 25, 2011Some passages in the bible lend themselves well to asking the question: Where am I in this story? Which character am I most like? This is one such passage. So, this morning, I’m suggesting we each take a little time to think about which character in this passage we are most like. It should go without saying that few if any of us will find ourselves in only

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-29156425725088859402011-09-18T14:07:00.000-05:002011-09-19T14:07:38.530-05:00Relentless Invitation

Matthew 20:1-16September 18, 2011Okay – I know this is a geeky pastor thing, but recently I was asked to write about my best guess of what the realm of God looks like. Actually, that’s not quite right. I was asked to write about the five things in our world today that look least like the realm of God. “Five worst things,” I called the Microsoft Word document. The first heading in my “Five

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-70829719835496990702011-09-12T11:05:00.001-05:002011-09-12T11:05:54.149-05:00Accountability and Forgiveness: Part II

Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:15-20September 11, 2011I first looked at the text assigned for this Sunday about two months ago. Ever since, I’ve been asking myself, “What do you say about forgiveness on the 10th anniversary of September 11th?” The juxtaposition, while I know it’s not possible that it was intentional, seems provocative. At the very least, to talk about forgiveness this morning is

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-9225647538505327612011-09-04T08:28:00.000-05:002011-09-04T08:29:15.032-05:00Accountability and Forgiveness: Part I

Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20 September 4, 2011 The passages from the gospel of Matthew this week and next deal with two very related subjects: accountability and forgiveness. Today we are given a model for how to respond when you feel wronged by someone, and next week Jesus will answer the question, “How many times should I forgive someone?” One way to look at this is to say that the

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-48648251477008759812011-08-21T10:36:00.000-05:002011-08-23T10:37:15.810-05:00Act V

Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20 August 21, 2011 I am a fan of Garrison Keillor. For those of you not familiar with him, he’s the host and voice of Prairie Home Companion – a long running show on public radio. Each week on his program, among other things, he shares news from a fictional town named Lake Wobegon, “where the women are strong, the men are good looking, and the children are all

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-60472529660732175482011-08-07T14:07:00.000-05:002011-08-09T14:08:16.359-05:00Ministry in Chaos

Matthew 14:22-33 August 7, 2011 I spent a little time this week looking at paintings depicting this scene from the gospel of Matthew – Jesus walking on water. Given the fame of this passage, you can imagine how many people have tried to capture the story in art. There were some similarities in all the paintings – in all of them Jesus walking on the water, for example . But, one of the

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-54692465390867875932011-07-24T09:07:00.001-05:002011-07-24T09:07:57.021-05:00Change: Predestined (In a good way, I promise)

Romans 8:26-39July 24, 2011Presbyterians are often associated with the doctrine of predestination – and not always in a good way. The doctrine of predestination has been based, in part, on this passage in Paul’s letter to the Romans. The idea is that God has already selected those who will be saved and there’s nothing we can do about it. Either I’ve been chosen for heaven or chosen for hell,

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-84273400425081863052011-07-17T10:18:00.000-05:002011-07-18T10:19:01.066-05:00Change: The Limitations of Love

Romans 8:12-25July 17, 2011In my experience, this is a faithful group of people – this congregation. You all ask yourselves regularly in your daily life what the faithful thing to do is. Should I drive someone to the hospital, should I take food to a family in grief, should I organize or help with a rummage sale to benefit mission, should I give of my resources to support the ministries of the

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-19267440346514776142011-07-10T10:09:00.000-05:002011-07-18T10:17:55.871-05:00Change: The Power of Love

Romans 8:1-11July 10, 2011This morning, we continue our series of reading a portion of Paul’s letter to the Christian church in Rome. This is a deeply pastoral letter…Paul is writing on very personal level to a community he loves dearly. He wants to guide them in how to shape their lives and their community in such a way that they can live a new reality – a reality different from the ones they

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-62062254964154894252011-07-03T09:31:00.000-05:002011-07-05T09:32:07.885-05:00Change: Ugh!

Romans 7:13-25aJuly 3, 2011We’re in week 2 of 5 weeks working our way through a portion of the letter Paul wrote to the Christians living in Rome. Paul, in these passages, is struggling with how to respond to the world he and the early churches faced, especially because that world included so much suffering and pain. And a big part of that struggle for Paul had to do with the tension between

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-89250783594238636192011-06-26T09:30:00.000-05:002011-07-05T09:31:13.379-05:00Change: Grace Required

Romans 6:12-23June 26, 2011It doesn’t happen every day, but pretty regularly I am asked, by non-Christians, “Why are you Christian?” Maybe that has happened to you, or maybe you have simply asked yourself that question. When I’m asked this question, I generally feel a little anxiety because I’m not sure I have a good answer, or more precisely, I’m not sure I articulate it well. But I do have

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-20702055437824765762011-06-12T09:29:00.000-05:002011-07-05T09:30:12.759-05:00Thank You!!

Acts 2:1-21June 12, 2011: Pentecost SundayThe Pentecost story marks the beginning of a long season in the church calendar; it lasts from today until Advent begins in November. This season is sometimes called the season of Pentecost, sometimes called ordinary time. The Presbyterians choose to call it ordinary time. But, truth be told, I prefer calling it the season of Pentecost, and it’s not

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-17226651748229947242011-06-05T09:25:00.000-05:002011-07-05T09:29:01.755-05:00Easter People: Marcus Borg

Acts 1:6-14June 5, 2011: 7th Sunday of EasterThere are parts of the bible that when we hear the words, our ears perk up. They ring familiar, sometimes we have an immediate, emotional reaction, and we might even think “that really speaks to what I’m dealing with today.” When a liturgist reads them on a Sunday morning, we are engaged, and we actually hear the words.• Blessed are the peacemakers.

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-46863966180028707802011-05-29T09:23:00.000-05:002011-07-05T09:24:57.211-05:00Easter People: Christian de Cherge

1 PeterMay 29, 2011I missed being here last week, though I did have a nice vacation. One thing I did on vacation that I don’t do in my “normal” life these days is I went to an honest to goodness movie in the honest to goodness movie theater. Now, I don’t get to do this often – I’m not completely blaming Lydia, but it’s all her fault – I don’t get to do this often, so given the chance, I decided

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-63287538307060441242011-05-15T09:22:00.000-05:002011-07-05T09:23:37.672-05:00Easter people: Jim Corbett

John 14:1-10Fourth Sunday of Easter: May 15, 2011When most of us hear “shepherd,” the image that first pops into our head is that of a sweet 6 or 7 year old dressed up as a shepherd for the Christmas pageant. They are well-scrubbed and adorable figures with dish towels on their heads and clad in striped bathrobes and they often need a fair amount of shepherding themselves to get on and off

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-38309754040336425792011-05-09T09:21:00.000-05:002011-07-05T09:22:42.373-05:00Easter People: Anne Lamott

Luke 24:13-35May 9, 2011In my experience, when pastors are asked to share their favorite bible passage, there are a couple that get a lot of play: The wedding at Cana, and the Prodigal Son, for example. But, even more than those two, this one – the Road to Emmaus – often comes out at the top of the charts of favorite hits. And that makes sense to me. It’s such a great passage for those of us

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-81737371407551585922011-05-01T09:19:00.001-05:002011-07-05T09:20:56.873-05:00Peace Be With You

John 20:19-31May 1, 2011: Second Sunday of EasterThe doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked out of fear.What do you do when you are afraid? Psychologists, sociologists and scientists of various sorts tell us that the two most common reactions are fight or flight. Depending upon the situation, your personality or your upbringing, you may be more inclined toward one of those

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-78777909685728572792011-04-24T09:16:00.000-05:002011-04-25T09:17:58.614-05:00Don't Look Back

John 20:1-18Easter: April 24,2011It’s Easter! What do you see? The lilies, the sun, the colorful eggs, the bunny? What do you see this Easter morning? This is the question asked in John’s gospel. In his telling of the extraordinary event of the empty tomb, his focus is on how people see it. And of course, he’s counting on the double meaning of “see”, which works the same in Greek as it

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-23727710447187274732011-04-10T09:15:00.000-05:002011-04-25T09:16:45.372-05:00Meeting Jesus: Martha, Mary, and Lazarus

John 11:1-45Fifth Sunday of Lent: April 10, 2011We have arrived at the last Sunday of looking at stories from the gospel of John where individuals encounter Jesus. Nicodemus, the woman at the well, the man born blind - each living lives that have taken a toll on them or others. When these characters meet Jesus, they are in some way given new life. For Nicodemus, Jesus freed him from

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-72148961805821519262011-04-03T09:14:00.001-05:002011-04-25T09:15:45.701-05:00Meeting Jesus: The Man Born Blind

John 9:1-41Fourth Sunday of Lent: April 3, 2011Somewhere in the coverage of Japan this week, I stumbled upon a Japanese proverb. It says: “Fix the problem, not the blame.” From most of what I have heard, with one notable, very public exception, people in Japan are responding to fix the problem more than to fix the blame. But, that doesn’t seem to stop others from focusing on the blame. We’

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-88411457119564386302011-03-30T09:12:00.000-05:002011-04-25T09:13:07.245-05:00Meeting Jesus: Nicodemus

John 3:1-17Second Sunday of Lent: March 30, 2011Last week we were with Jesus in the wilderness as he was being tempted by Satan. Satan gave him the opportunity to be like God, and Jesus instead chose to be human. From there, he went on to do his ministry here on earth – as a human being who understood all the joys and pains, all the ups and downs, all the ages and stages of life that we do.

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-49225056520279771142011-03-27T09:13:00.000-05:002011-04-25T09:14:37.876-05:00Meeting Jesus: Woman at the Well

John 4:4-42March 27, 2011: Third Sunday of LentDuring Lent, we are reading a series of stories from the gospel of John in which different characters encounter Jesus and are changed. Last week we met Nicodemus who came to Jesus believing in him because of the miracles Jesus had performed, but he left with a new kind of faith that was not as much about believing in as entrusting one’s life to

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-61544903618504577862011-03-13T09:10:00.000-05:002011-04-25T09:12:08.696-05:00Who Is This Guy, Anyway?

Matthew 4:1-11First Sunday of LentDuring the Sundays of Lent we are going to be exploring what can happen when we meet Jesus. Starting next week, we will read stories from the Gospel of John about people whose lives were changed when they encounter Jesus; people who were given a new start, who were healed, loved, and even raised from the dead. In reading these stories, we will ask if such

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-88308943459311357022011-03-09T09:10:00.000-06:002011-04-25T09:10:53.729-05:00Rend Your Hearts

Joel 2:1-2,12-13; Matthew 1-6,16-21Ash Wednesday: March 9, 2011“Rend your hearts, not your clothing,” says God to the Hebrew people. Rend your hearts. Tear open your hearts. It’s a powerful image even for those of us who don’t regularly “rend our clothing.” In Joel’s day, people would tear their clothing when mourning, or when feeling remorseful. It was a symbol of coming before God humble

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-39121772394885437412011-03-06T09:09:00.000-06:002011-04-25T09:10:06.127-05:00Some Sabbath Day

Exodus 24:12-18; Matthew 17:1-9Transfiguration Sunday: March 6, 2011Have you ever had one of those days? A day where, by the time you put your head on the pillow at night, it feels like about three days have passed since you woke up that morning? When I was in my last year of college, I went on a number of interview trips. One interview was in South Bend, Indiana. I honestly can’t remember

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-82075098153569879472011-02-20T09:07:00.000-06:002011-04-25T09:09:13.054-05:00Perfection

Leviticus 19:1-2,9-18 ; 1 Corinthians 3:10-11,16-23 ; Matthew 5:38-48February 20, 2011Sincere people of all faiths engage their scriptures, their sacred stories, their tradition, and their concept of transcendence in order to best discern how to live their lives. And, I would boldly contend, pretty much every faith tradition contains elements that place very difficult demands on adherents who

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-5914394453266035852011-02-13T11:35:00.000-06:002011-02-14T11:36:20.516-06:00The Law of Relationship

Matthew 5:21-42February 13, 2011In the strange world of church calendars, with Lent starting so late this year, we get to hear more of Jesus’ sermon on the mount than we usually do. It’s been 9, maybe 12, years since this passage today has been in the lectionary. Because of this, I think, most of us really only remember the beginning of this chapters-long sermon: blessed are the poor, the meek

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-45898268287389409082011-02-06T11:33:00.000-06:002011-02-14T11:34:22.538-06:00This Little Light of Mine

Matthew 5:February 6, 2011One of the songs we often sing in Sunday school is, “This Little Light of Mine.” You surely know it. It is a classic kids Sunday school song. It’s SO simple, repetitive in tune and lyrics, so it’s perfect for kids. But, I have a confession: I like it too. Even though it’s simple and repetitive, I think the tune is catchy. But most of all I’m a big fan of the lyrics

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-11332588438251614462011-01-30T11:31:00.000-06:002011-02-14T11:33:18.626-06:00What Does the Lord Require?

Micah 6:1-8; Matthew 5:1-12January 30, 2011Israel’s relationship with God was fractured. The first five chapters of Micah are filled with a description of this state of affairs, and he was not telling the people anything they didn’t know…the world was broken, which for them was just the same thing as a broken relationship with Yahweh. And so the people were trying hard to bridge the chasm

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-1313953093414819552011-01-23T11:29:00.000-06:002011-02-14T11:31:28.063-06:00Turn

Matthew 4:12-23January 23, 2011Last week we read the story of how Andrew and his brother Simon Peter came to be disciples of Jesus. This week, we read the story of how Andrew and his brother Simon Peter came to be disciples of Jesus. But they are totally different stories, with different facts and different settings. This is, of course, because the author of the gospel of John and the author

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-6645145385423120192011-01-17T09:10:00.000-06:002011-01-17T09:11:35.360-06:00What Would It Take?

John 1:29-42January 16, 2011We’re so used to this story and the words, “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,” I think when we read this passage from John about the first disciples of Jesus, we no longer notice that the disciples are really quite crazy. There is so little about their actions and responses that makes sense to me, and the author of the gospel of John feels little need

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-33530604148028024252011-01-10T09:10:00.000-06:002011-01-17T09:16:51.927-06:00Divine Drive for Unity

Isaiah 42:1-9; Matthew 3:13-17Baptism of Our Lord Sunday: January 9, 2011Baptism is a sacrament – a rite of the church – and it all stems back to the bible. We Christians base our practice of baptism on two things: Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan and the command at the end of the gospel of Matthew to go and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the triune God. From the

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-72235368118918712992011-01-03T11:37:00.001-06:002011-01-03T11:37:55.229-06:00Off By Six Miles

Isaiah 60:1-6; Matthew 2:1-12Epiphany: January 2, 2011So, here we are: Epiphany Sunday. This is one of those days in the church calendar when the lectionary texts are the same every year. Every year on Epiphany Sunday we read the story of the three magi from the gospel of Matthew, along with Isaiah 60 from the Hebrew Bible. Ever since the 4th century, maybe even earlier, most of the Christian

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-53948726711728459502010-12-26T11:36:00.000-06:002011-01-03T11:39:36.809-06:00Top Ten

Matthew 2:13-23December 26th, 2010This passage always, always, always makes me stop and ask the question: Why is it again that I think the bible is such a great book? Just to review this story: Jesus birth, that wonderful moment we all just celebrated with candle light service, time with family and friends, gifts and wonderful, warm, comfort food, is the direct cause of the slaughter of

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-89006713305999173962010-12-19T11:35:00.000-06:002011-01-03T11:39:19.355-06:00Immanuel

Isaiah 7:10-17Fourth Sunday of Advent: December 19, 2010Here’s the simple sermon:Each week in Advent we have heard one of Isaiah’s visions for what the world will look like when God comes to rule among us. And they are beautiful visions. Swords will be beaten into plowshares, wolves and lambs together without enmity, and waters bursting forth in the wilderness while the blind see and the lame

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-26967454727443505222010-12-12T11:34:00.000-06:002011-01-03T11:38:45.465-06:00Immanuel: Waters in the Desert

Isaiah 35:1-10Third Sunday of Advent: December 12, 2010We’re waiting…we’re waiting for what’s hoped for, what we deeply long for for this world. We read the visions of the prophets, and we all probably have our own visions – our own ways of expressing what must lie out there somewhere as a possibility. And we wait for it – long for it. At the same time last week we talked about how it is an

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-36877296829998926192010-12-12T05:40:00.002-06:002010-12-12T05:41:54.458-06:00Immanuel: Wolve and Lambs

Isaiah 11:1-10Second Sunday of Advent: December 5, 2010Last week I talked about the theological theme of Advent – that Advent is a time of two-fold waiting: waiting to celebrate the incarnation, the birth of Jesus, and waiting for the world we know Jesus longed for and worked for in his lifetime. In focusing on Isaiah this Advent, we’re focusing on the 2nd waiting – the waiting for the world

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-91950780511858967872010-12-12T05:40:00.001-06:002010-12-12T05:40:56.496-06:00Immanuel: Swords Into Plowshares

Isaiah 2:1-5First Sunday of Advent: November 28, 2010I suspect for many, Advent is a difficult season in the church to understand. It’s hard to know what the “theme” is, and if there’s anything in particular we should be “doing” during Advent. Should we be giving something up, spending more time in reflection, listening for some particular point or story, ignoring all together? Add to that

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-69371384068309155042010-12-12T05:38:00.000-06:002010-12-12T05:40:11.857-06:00Thanks for the Call

Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Philippians 4:4-9Harvest Sunday: November 21, 2010Thanksgiving is a big deal in my family. It’s the must attend holiday. And it’s not just my folks, my siblings and their families; it’s in-laws, and in-laws of in-laws, cousins, friends, usually a few college students, and anyone who happens to be “hanging around.” This year, I even convinced my housemates, Emily and

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-78000385864810166732010-11-15T14:36:00.001-06:002010-11-15T14:36:22.024-06:00New Songs of Celebration Render

Psalm 98November 14, 2010“O sing a new song to Yahweh, who has done marvelous things.”This is not just instruction for us to sing; it is a claim about what happens when we see the goodness, the beauty, the bounty of creation. We become caught up in song –the song of creation, and we become a part of the larger song. Broadly defined, that means the movement, rhythms and melodies of our lives.

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-89255372630252897422010-11-09T11:13:00.001-06:002010-11-09T11:13:53.667-06:00Sad to be a Sadducee

Haggai 1:15b-2:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17; Luke 20:27-38November 7, 2010I have to admit something – this week I had a case of the inspiration blues. Generally, when I read the biblical texts early in the week, something strikes me – grabs my attention. I like to think this is inspiration, or the Holy Spirit. Depending on the week, you might think it is not at all inspired and certainly

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-5280614447538580252010-11-02T10:39:00.001-05:002010-11-02T10:39:50.814-05:00For All the Saints

Ephesians 1:11-23All Saints Day: October 31, 2010How many times do the authors of our scriptures list names, give genealogies, and remind people of faith of their ancestors? The lectionary often graciously leaves them out so poor, unsuspecting liturgists don’t have to read them, but there are tons of verses, even chapters full of hard to pronounce names. Over and over the bible reminds the

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-25520109573421173372010-10-25T10:17:00.000-05:002010-10-25T10:20:40.496-05:00Both / And

Luke 18: 9-14October 24, 2010Maybe you are like me. Maybe when you hear this passage about prayer you feel a little angst – angst over exactly which one of the characters you are most like. When I hear Jesus condemn one and praise the other I can’t help but ask, “Which one am I?” Am I like the Pharisee, sure of myself and my goodness, happy with my pious practices, feeling good about how

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-30845273074044994972010-10-19T09:39:00.000-05:002010-10-19T09:40:16.484-05:00Preach It!

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Luke 18:1-8October 17, 2010Last week I was one of two keynote speakers at an event at the college. I was introduced first, and for those of you who come here week after week, you will have no difficultly imagining what my talk looked like. I typed out every single word I was going to say ahead of time, I stood at the podium with my manuscript in front of me, and I read each

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-68050308541307427422010-10-12T09:47:00.000-05:002010-10-12T09:48:15.039-05:00Will the Real God Please Stand Up

Jeremiah 29:1,4-7; 2 Timothy 2:8-15October 10, 2010Chaos, defeat, exile, fear, anger – it was not a good time in the life of the Jewish people when Jeremiah lived. Babylon had destroyed their homeland, and many had been taken to live in the enemy’s country. It was a disaster on a scale most of us cannot imagine. And everyone was asking the same question: “What the heck do we do now?” And as

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-18567959910991045602010-09-14T09:43:00.000-05:002010-09-14T09:44:02.719-05:00What Are We Good For?

Luke 15:1-10September 12, 2010I never tire of these two parables. Like any parable of Jesus, they can be mined for many different meanings, but one thing that’s hard to deny is the overall theme of “seeking;” the notion that God seeks – goes after us , never abandons us – speaks loudly every time this passage is read. And I love that image – of God seeking every single individual out there –

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-63581060841782286062010-09-07T08:58:00.001-05:002010-09-07T08:58:45.867-05:00New Vessels

Jeremiah 18:1-11; Philemon 1-21; Luke 14:25-33September 5, 2010Each of our passages this morning has a hint of something disturbing. Yet each also offers something so hopeful and liberating, it’s a little hard to know what to do with it all. Jeremiah begs the question, does God destroy us when we’re bad? Luke’s passage makes us ask, did Jesus really mean we’re to “hate” our families? And

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-81744405267755480902010-08-30T09:39:00.001-05:002010-08-30T09:39:35.029-05:00Can We Take a Joke?

Luke 14:1,7-14August 29, 2010It’s a dinner party. People are arriving, they are probably greeting each other with small talk, and some have started to make their way over to the table to sit down. As they do, they look for the seat that best matches their position or status within the family of faith that has gathered. When Jewish people of antiquity came together for meals, the closer you

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-91464902037640697672010-08-25T13:43:00.000-05:002010-08-25T13:44:18.155-05:00The Law That Heals

Luke 13:10-17August 22, 2010Church: Week after week after week we come. I assume that all of us must get something out of church at some point, or we wouldn’t be here. In this day and age, the societal pressure to be a church go-er isn’t as strong as it used to be. It used to be that the societal pressure was enough to bring people to church week after week after week – even if it did

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-5263793613681375752010-08-17T13:50:00.000-05:002010-08-17T13:51:09.794-05:00The Justice Indicator

Luke 12:49-56August 15, 2010Summer time is when the livin’ is supposed to be easy. But here, in the church on Sunday mornings this summer, it feels like we’ve come across our fair share of biblical passages that are anything but easy. For weeks we’ve waded through prophets who, speaking on behalf of God, were railing against the people using language of violence and destruction. And just when

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-50273273753918902002010-08-11T08:56:00.001-05:002010-08-11T09:02:07.158-05:00Faith: The Third Way

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20; Hebrews 11:1-3,8-16August 8, 2010This verse from Hebrews is so often quoted: Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things unseen. And for good reason. It’s really beautiful. It seems to say so much, such profound things, in one sentence. But in my experience, these days often people think this passage means we have faith in God even though we can

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-82849675220818521182010-07-20T09:30:00.000-05:002010-07-20T09:31:21.547-05:00Amos, Amos, Go Away

Amos 7:7-17; 8:1-12July 18, 2010Sometimes the bible is like a punch in the gut. In the last couple of weeks, I have been trying to convey in the sermons that the texts we were reading point not to judgment but to new ways of looking at things and new possibilities. Too often we think we hear judgment in a passage of scripture but it’s not there when you read closely enough. Stories that have

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-14092824599005219762010-07-13T12:24:00.001-05:002010-07-13T12:28:56.120-05:00The Filthy, Rotten Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37July 11, 2010[Thanks to a couple of pastor friends who pointed me to this story on the internet. http://www.ceac.ethz.ch/Program.pdf] Edward De Bono was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford in the 50s. One night while attending Oxford he went to a party in London and got back late – after the gates had closed for the night. So he had to climb two walls to get to his room. He didn’t have too

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-11533565438302702982010-06-30T09:53:00.001-05:002010-06-30T09:53:53.131-05:00"To Do" Lists

Galatians 5:1-25 ; Luke 9:51-62June 27, 2010“To do” lists are not inherently bad. Without them, I would forget everything, not just some things like I do now. Most of us could not function without a “to do” list. But even as they are helpful in some ways, they often work in a more nefarious way for me as well. In addition to helping me get things done, my “to do” list sits there, judging me,

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-59823913316821407202010-06-21T10:51:00.000-05:002010-06-21T10:52:07.818-05:00Prophets Then and Now

1 Kings 19:1-18; Luke 8:26-39June 20, 2010I have to admit, I think Elijah is daunting. The stories about his life and work are extraordinary and surely, I tell myself, exaggerated if not entirely made up. He takes on the most powerful people of his day, challenging oppressive systems, endangering his life by speaking truth to power. And then there are things like defeating thousands of

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-8722783488936547282010-06-08T09:33:00.002-05:002010-06-08T09:34:15.133-05:00Vital Signs

1 Kings 17:8-24; Luke 7:11-17June 6, 2010I am surely not the first to imagine the church being connected to one of those machines in the hospital that measure your vital signs. I think it’s natural to wonder how we’re doing. What is our heart rate, blood pressure, how regular or irregular is our heart beat. Are we alive and well, or is the line flat, the beeps long since silenced? I can’t

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-38481359004372385182010-06-01T10:57:00.001-05:002010-06-01T10:58:55.067-05:00Just Who Was Where When?

Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8; John 1:1-4Trinity Sunday: May 30, 2010Today is Trinity Sunday. Just the sound of that probably makes some of you think, “Darn it, I wish I would have stayed home to garden.” You might care as much about the trinity as you do the score of a cricket match between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Maybe less. But I’m hoping when you leave here you might care a little bit

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-6911568076464690012010-05-26T09:25:00.000-05:002010-05-26T09:26:38.852-05:00A Violent Wind Church?

Acts 2:1-21Pentecost: May 23, 2010I have heard many people, including fellow pastors, say that, of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is the hardest to understand and relate to. It’s too ethereal, too nebulous, too much like a Halloween character. But, I actually find the Holy Spirit to be the easiest member of the trinity to understand. God as Father is, for me, very difficult.

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-48478739663150368702010-05-19T12:06:00.002-05:002010-05-19T12:07:41.314-05:00Easter People: Tom Chappell

Acts 5:27-32; John 17:20-26May 16, 2010: Sixth Sunday of Easter[Sources for Tom Chappell’s story: “Cabbie Hailed for Donating Kidney” By Steve Hartman, (Phoenix, Sept. 11, 2009) http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500803_162-5301486-500803.html ; “A cabbie’s calling,” by Kimberly Hosey http://www.timespublications.com/feb10-feature1.asp . Also: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/09/07/

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-29668672288791174882010-05-11T09:19:00.000-05:002010-05-11T09:20:17.935-05:00Easter People: Julia Ward Howe

Acts 16:9-15; John 14:23-29May 9, 2010: Sixth Sunday of EasterWhen the spirit is on the loose, there’s no telling what will happen. People do unpredictable things, and sometimes they change the course of history along the way. In John’s gospel today, Jesus is talking to his disciples shortly before his death. As their friend, he shows concern for them, knowing they might feel abandoned and

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-48895129025304227672010-05-05T09:59:00.000-05:002010-05-05T10:00:08.511-05:00Easter People: Frederick Buechner

John 11:31-35May 2, 2010: Fifth Sunday of EasterLove one another. I don’t know a single Christian who doesn’t think this pretty much sums things up – do you? But the only way it becomes more than just a Christian bumper sticker – more than just a nice sentiment, is if we move from words to action. And that is one of the greatest questions of our faith: What moves us to love in deeds, not

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-88789896474959296422010-04-27T09:27:00.002-05:002010-04-27T09:29:06.261-05:00Easter People: Kathleen O'Malley

This Sunday, our Easter person came to deliver the sermon herself. Being a much more skilled speaker than I, she did not have a manuscript of her sermon. Thank you to Kathleen for a wonderful message about how our politics and spirituality are intimately connected.

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-85552555550559895972010-04-20T09:52:00.000-05:002010-04-20T09:53:35.531-05:00Easter People: Paul Farmer

John 21:1-19April 18, 2010: Third Sunday of EasterThe author of the gospel of John captures so much of what Jesus is about in this beautiful scene. The way Jesus engages the disciples is basically a recap of how Jesus dealt with people throughout his ministry. The disciples are together – and they are suffering…and they are suffering on at least two different levels. First, there is the

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-39972949310086579332010-04-13T08:29:00.002-05:002010-04-13T08:30:35.952-05:00Easter People: Immaculee Ilibagiza

Acts 5:27-32 ; John 20:19-31April 11, 2010: Second Sunday of Easter[Much of the information on Immaculee Ilibagiza's life and experiences in this sermon comes from her book "Left To Tell."]Being in a room with the doors locked for fear that someone might come and kill you is something far too many people have experienced. It is all too common today. It’s been all too common throughout history.

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-14308479774171040702010-03-31T13:59:00.000-05:002010-03-31T14:00:22.907-05:00That's Who

Zechariah 9:9-10; Luke 19:28-42aPalm Sunday: March 28, 2010Today is the final Sunday of Lent. Throughout Lent we have been talking about ways to draw closer to God. We are diverse people, with different spirituality types. The ways we draw close to God differ, and each is as valid as the next. For that matter, the ways we understand the God to whom we would like to draw near differ greatly.

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-62730986265514166462010-03-24T09:20:00.001-05:002010-03-24T09:20:51.521-05:00Divine Union

Philippians 3:4b-14 ; John 12:`1-11March 21, 2010: Fifth Sunday of LentDuring Lent this year, we have been talking about different ways we can draw closer to God, depending on what spiritual “type” we might be. We are not all the same, and so how we come to know God or understand God will look different for each of us. Some are head types, learning about God through study and reflection. Some

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-69293446206273656182010-03-16T09:43:00.000-05:002010-03-16T09:44:39.774-05:00

The Heart’s ResponsePsalm 32; Luke 15:1-3; 11b-32Fourth Sunday of Lent: March 14, 2010As we come to the fourth Sunday of Lent, as the cross continues to move closer to us, we continue to reflect on ways we can in our own lives draw near to God. As one theologian put it, “Lent is a time for life with God. In Lent we may draw away from public life enough to give energy to this relationship with

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-37058631542099359722010-03-11T10:41:00.001-06:002010-03-11T10:41:48.327-06:00The Joy of Serving

Isaiah 55:1-13; Psalm 63:1-8; Luke 13:1-9Third Sunday of Lent: March 7, 2010As you might remember, during the season of Lent we are looking at different ways we might draw near to God – however we understand God. The first Sunday in Lent we talked about people who connected with God best through their heads – through study and reason, through scientific exploration and analysis. Last week we

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-52870514402005272062010-03-02T09:00:00.001-06:002010-03-02T09:00:21.784-06:00A Pilgrim People

Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Luke 13:31-35Second Sunday of Lent: February 28, 2010“A wandering Aramean was your ancestor.” What an odd thing to remind people of when they are finally coming to be in the promised land. After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, the Hebrew people had arrived at the destination, the land flowing with milk and honey. They were about to begin the golden age of their

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-25188875579006412222010-02-25T09:49:00.001-06:002010-02-25T09:49:32.715-06:00It's All in Your Head

Psalm 91; Romans 10:12-15; Luke 4:1-13First Sunday of Lent: February 21, 2010Lent begins with temptation and ends on the cross. It’s a sober reminder that life’s journey is not free from sorrow and that there are tempting forces in this world that bring destruction upon us and others.Today, we start with temptation: Jesus in the desert. Here we have a text about Jesus and the devil engaged in

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-8447151043929060652010-02-16T13:18:00.000-06:002010-02-16T13:19:01.070-06:00This is My Story

Exodus ; 1 Kings 19:9b; 11-13a; LukeTransfiguration Sunday: February 14, 2010We cannot make the mistake of reading the transfiguration passage in the gospel as an account of “something that happened one day.” To begin with, I’m confident the author of Luke would turn in his grave wondering why in the world he went to so much trouble to write something so intentionally symbolic only to have it

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-91540149876895361002010-02-09T09:57:00.001-06:002010-02-09T09:59:01.236-06:00Catching People

Luke 5:1-11February 7, 2010There is more than one miracle in this story if you ask me. Obviously we have the massive haul of fish. But I think Simon Peter’s succession of responses in this passage is nothing short of miraculous. Each time he speaks or acts he signals a massive shift in his understanding, beliefs and purpose in life. One right after the other, sometimes two dramatic

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-76841087356753359712010-02-02T15:01:00.000-06:002010-02-02T15:02:08.155-06:00Love Without Knowledge

Jeremiah 1:4-10; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13January 31, 2010It is an age old debate – even if we’re largely settled on the answer, it comes up again and again: Is there such a thing as altruism? Can we ever feel love that is not tainted by our own self interest? Can we ever do something that is purely about the good of others? There is another, related conundrum when it comes to love. Can we

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-954373883945010572010-01-19T11:44:00.000-06:002010-01-19T11:45:09.061-06:00Do Whatever He Tells You To Do

Genesis 1:1-5 ; 2:1-3; John 2:1-11January 17, 2010I’m the youngest of three children. And you can imagine that my parents were thrilled when my brother got old enough to baby sit me and my sister. It was easier, cheaper and they probably thought they were teaching my brother how to handle responsibility.I’m sure you’ve heard the refrain yourself – when parents leave children with baby sitters.

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-45244166033703159992010-01-12T11:20:00.001-06:002010-01-12T11:20:45.338-06:00Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Isaiah 43:1-7; Luke 3:21-22January 10, 2010When I was home for Christmas, my family played a game called “Smarty Pants”. In this game, the group is given a topic and you have to come up with words or names on a given list that would fit that topic. For example the topic would be “Top household pets.” And one by one around the circle you would say “dog, cat, bird, etc.” One topic was to name

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-76338119738466613852010-01-05T10:26:00.000-06:002010-01-05T10:27:44.004-06:00An Epiphany

Matthew 2:1-12Epiphany Sunday, January 1, 2006The past few weeks it’s been cold, snowy, gray, and even rainy. Oh, and did I mention cold. Of course I don’t need to tell you that, and I probably shouldn’t be complaining. At least in this bitter cold we’ve had some sun. But still, I’m tired of the weather. I’m tired of the cold, I’m tired of shoveling, I’m tired of it being dark at 5 p.m., and

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-21075938755498475372009-12-29T09:41:00.002-06:002009-12-29T09:44:24.105-06:00Family Values

1 Samuel 2:18-20 ; Luke 4:41-52December 27, 2009This morning, with a little help from Samuel and Luke, I’m going to talk about family values. I need to start by saying that this sermon – or rather the ideas in this sermon – are a work in progress. That happens sometimes. In my thinking and studying of the bible during the week, I am led to an idea that I think is important, where I know the

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-65717460123550526882009-12-29T09:41:00.001-06:002009-12-29T09:41:45.657-06:00What Peace? Christmas Eve

Isaiah 9:2-7; Luke 2:1-14“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to all whom God favors.” Great quote! But what is this peace of which the angels sing? Do we really know? There are different kinds of peace. And when Jesus is born, it is exactly that question we are faced with – which peace do we seek?There is “false peace.” This is the peace we think we find when we just shut out

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-10321207818899485272009-12-29T09:38:00.001-06:002009-12-29T09:39:48.533-06:00When God is a Child

Micah 5:2-5; Luke 1:39-55December 20, 2009: Fourth Sunday of AdventI know Dan just read it – but in a minute I want to set the scene again. Not because it’s an unfamiliar story – that of Mary and Elizabeth, but precisely because it’s familiar to us. Sometimes, when stories are familiar, our ears hear what they have always heard and some words are at risk of being lost to us. For me, this is

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-73590227275105498952009-12-29T09:37:00.001-06:002009-12-29T09:37:59.567-06:00Fire: Of Heaven or Hell?

Zephaniah 3:14 - 20; Luke 3:7-18December 13, 2009Usually, when we hear about someone in the bible being thrown into the unquenchable “fire”, we all say, “Oh, I know what that means. That’s hell.” And we definitely have fire in this passage. In fact, we have the word “fire” three times. And it’s the same greek word each time. What’s interesting is that we read only two of those fires as “hell

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-55114865799159864142009-12-06T09:49:00.001-06:002009-12-06T09:49:29.171-06:00Second Sunday of Advent

Malachi 3:1-7; Luke 3:1-6December 6, 2009: Second Sunday of AdventFor obvious reasons our lectionary couples the New Testament Advent texts with messianic prophetic texts from the Old Testament. But we should be cautious in how we understand the relationship between the Old Testament and New Testament. It’s obvious that the New Testament wants to bear witness to who Jesus was and what his life

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-48314779818009834092009-12-01T11:04:00.000-06:002009-12-01T11:05:01.352-06:00The End: There's Only One

Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:25-36First Sunday of Advent: November 29, 2009These days it might seem like our political parties humiliate and degrade each other out of pure sport. While I can’t speak for all of them – some might actually be doing just that – most, I suspect, are driven by something much less sinister. In fact, it could even be considered “good” on some level. I give the

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-46629894652073890812009-11-24T09:08:00.000-06:002009-11-24T09:09:16.417-06:00Pure Thanksgiving

Psalm 126; 1 Timothy 2:1-8; Matthew 6:25-34Pledge Sunday: November 22, 2009I kept a journal of my time in Vietnam when I went to pick up Lydia. Toward the end of our stay I was wondering whether we would be home in time for Thanksgiving. As I was writing about that, I engaged in what I thought was humor. Mostly I was trying to amuse myself, but I thought others who knew me and were reading

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-64090801145948022662009-11-17T09:52:00.000-06:002009-11-17T09:53:03.111-06:00Stir One Another

1 Samuel 1:4-20 ; Hebrews 10:19-25November 15, 2009At first glance, this reading from the book of Samuel appears to be a very personal, spiritual story about Hannah and her quest for a son. And it makes sense that we would read it that way. We read it that way because we are used to spiritual narratives being personal, even private, in nature. We read it that way because there is always a

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-77877610188166997662009-11-13T11:10:00.001-06:002009-11-13T11:12:00.738-06:00Relocate. Redistribute. Reconcile.

Mark 12:38-44November 8, 2009We look at her with such great admiration…the widow who gave her last mite to support the church. But, I am fairly confident “admiration” was not the first word that came to the disciples’ minds that day when Jesus had them observe her at the treasury box. She must have looked weird. I mean really weird. Jesus had just told them how the church leaders “devour

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-71236647906376677532009-10-20T10:55:00.000-05:002009-10-20T10:56:08.881-05:00Hitchin' Our Wagon

Mark 10:35-45October 18, 2009Last year, I was at a Presbyterian conference. I decided to attend because there was a group of people who were considering ways to be in community with one another even though geographically dispersed. It was appealing to me because of the principles this community was to be based on. The idea came from one person who had the vision and got the project going. She

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-69532687530024572212009-10-04T09:58:00.000-05:002009-10-04T09:59:04.312-05:00Married to the World

Hebrews 1:1 – 4, 2:5 – 12; Mark 10:2 – 16 October 4, 2009: World Communion SundayAs I was preparing the sermon this week, I realized there was a chance that when Dennis read the passage in Mark, an elephant would walk into the sanctuary. Given this, I decided I had three choices when writing my sermon. First, I could ignore this passage from Mark – completely ignore it by not having Dennis

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-63716425313781307032009-09-29T09:37:00.000-05:002009-09-29T09:39:30.093-05:00Exorcising Demons

Mark 9:38-50September 27, 2009[Note: Thank you to Brian Blount for his outstanding sermon on this passage at Duke Divinity School. He greatly informed and influenced some of my thinking this week.]Wow! This is a hard passage to read. I mean, how gruesome. Surely Jesus, our loving compassionate savior, would not advocate such extreme judgments and violent punishments when we sin. You sinned?

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953607526235970306.post-1708046455927602009-09-15T10:30:00.002-05:002009-09-15T10:31:25.116-05:00Justice and Peace Shall Embrace

Psalm 85; Mark 8:27-38September 13, 2009: Peacemaking SundayWe don’t know exactly what the lives of the Jews were like at the time of Jesus. We can make guesses because of their religion, professions and geographical location as well as the political realities of the day. But, that only takes us so far. How poor they were, how oppressed, how bad or good their lives were can’t really be known

Pastor Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008764482500161871noreply@blogger.com