What’s the most powerful sermon you can remember? I remember one in particular. I was still in high school and had slept over at a friend’s house on New Year’s Eve.
Crossroads: My Hope Is in the Lord
March 13, 2023 by
I am a worrier by nature. When things go wrong, I get anxious. Even when things have the possibility of going wrong, I get anxious.
A Prayer for the Floor
January 17, 2023 by
On the floor is where so many things end up, God.
Toys dropped, crumbs scattered.
Shoes thrown, books smashed.
We Need the Hope of Christmas Now
December 7, 2022 by
Simply and directly, our world is not what it should be. And the Advent and Christmas season offer the expectancy of what should be.
A Prayer for Parents Waiting-to-Be
October 11, 2022 by
O Holy God,
It is the time of waiting.
We are waiting, Longing, Hoping, Praying, Promising.
Connections 10.02.2022: One Quiet Hope
September 25, 2022 by
The book of Lamentations is a book for the people. Five long poems of lament put a whole community’s grief into words as the people of Israel come to terms with their exile from their home in God’s holy land.
Crossroads: Jesus Gives Us Hope
May 30, 2022 by
When I was in the sixth grade, it felt like my life was falling apart. I didn’t have any friends, there was a lot of bad stuff happening at my church, and my mom and my stepdad were getting a divorce.
Crossroads: Jesus Gives Us Hope
May 23, 2022 by
When I was in the sixth grade, it felt like my life was falling apart. I didn’t have any friends, there was a lot of bad stuff happening at my church, and my mom and my stepdad were getting a divorce.
Connections 03.20.2022: For the Hope of Figs
March 13, 2022 by
Cliffhangers are great plot devices; they keep you turning the page, or seeking out the sequel, or coming back for the next episode. “Same bat time, same bat channel.”
Formations 01.30.2022: Bright Hope for Tomorrow
January 23, 2022 by
The traditional hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is on my mind. In particular, I feel drawn to the line, “Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine and ten thousand beside.”
Crossroads: My Hope is in the Lord
December 6, 2021 by
I am a worrier by nature. When things go wrong, I get anxious. When things have the possibility of going wrong, I get anxious then too. So it is comforting to know that the Lord who watches over us doesn’t sleep. God doesn’t get tired. God doesn’t get anxious.
Crossroads: Thanksgiving
November 22, 2021 by
This is a time when families gather together around a table filled with food, and remember all of the things for which they are thankful. Some years it’s easy to remember the blessings you’ve been given. But other years, it seems as if nothing has gone right.
You (Plural) Are Not Lacking
September 15, 2021 by
“You Are Not Lacking.” That was the title of the sermon I planned to preach on Sunday, January 19. But before I got to it, on Friday, January 17, the daughter-in-law of some beloved church members went on a walk near the church in the afternoon and never came home. Her name is Leanne Hecht Bearden.
Connections 05.23.2021: The Power of Hope
May 16, 2021 by
Hope. What does the word “hope” mean? Is it wishful thinking? Daydreaming? Longing? Desiring? Or is it something more certain and true?
Flame: Advent Wreath Craft
December 2, 2020 by
We’ve now entered Advent and I was thinking of how families could use the tradition of the Advent wreath at home in a craft and prayer activity. Of course it’s great to have the real candles to light, but here’s an alternative to make and do.
The Night Before Advent
November 25, 2020 by
The calendar gave us an early Thanksgiving this year and it seems like it has been an eon between turkey and Advent. But I am ready for Advent. I need Advent right now. I need it more than I need Christmas.
Connections 06.14.2020: Hope for Tomorrow, Love for Today
June 7, 2020 by
The entire New Testament is about living in the in-between. It’s about more than that, but it’s definitely about that.
Formations 04.26.2020: More than Hope
April 19, 2020 by
What do you need most right now? While we’re all in this pandemic together, our individual situations are unique. Our pain is our own. Our grief is ours to bear.
Connections 11.24.2019: Prayerful Hopes
November 17, 2019 by
Since my daughters were very small, I have written them several letters per year in special journals that I bought for them. The earliest entries detail their milestones (“You crawled toward the remote control today” or “You slept in your big-girl bed all night without waking us up”).
Connections 07.28.2019: God Offers Hope
July 21, 2019 by
Yesterday, my husband and I saw a local community theatre production of the haunting musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Based on the animated Disney movie, it features the same songs and several new ones.
Advent Devotions: Hope
December 4, 2018 by
As I’ve prepared to explore Advent and journey through this season of waiting and watching, I’ve had one song stuck in my head. Well, one line from one song stuck in my head: “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices….”
Spiritual but Not Religious
August 29, 2018 by
Many would say, to use a modern phrase, that Lincoln was “spiritual but not religious.” Such a posture should be celebrated as an expression of heartfelt belief and longing, but it should also be considered with a word of caution.
Crossroads: The Candle of Prophecy/Hope
December 4, 2017 by
Welcome to the first week of Advent! Advent is a time of preparation, when we wait and prepare for the Christ child. Each week you will light a new candle as we recognize the things that Christ brings to this world: hope, peace, joy, and love.
Connections 10.22.2017: Steadfastness of Hope
October 15, 2017 by
To me, it’s one of the most beautiful words in the English language. Its French, Spanish, and Italian forms are beautiful too: esperer, esperanza, speranza. Hope means much more to me than wishful thinking or unmet desires. It is a lifeline keeping me afloat in a world that is often disappointing and frightening.
Seeking True Hope and Happiness
February 15, 2017 by
About this time each year, I start to feel a bit sorry for myself. The weather is usually dreary and cold. The excitement of the holidays and the promise of a new year have passed. I have not made any progress on my resolutions since the first week of January.
The Gracefulness of Hope
December 20, 2016 by
For many, 2016 is coming to a close with anger, fear and brokenness. How can we move forward? Some of my friends are writing, protesting, wearing a safety pin, donating money or praying. A public school teacher I know has hung signs on her classroom door indicating that every child is welcome and safe in that space.
An Advent Prayer
December 7, 2016 by
O God,
As you come to us, please come bearing faith, hope, and love.
We need to trust, hope, and love more.
Connections 11.20.2016: The Perfect City
November 13, 2016 by
When I read about John’s vision of the new and perfect city, or about Ezekiel’s similar vision in chapter 47, I picture the settings from books like C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, or J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.
Formations 11.13.2016: Sing in Time
November 6, 2016 by
When I walk into a new sanctuary, I find a pew, pull out the hymnal, and look through it. I see if anyone’s names have been embossed on the lower right corner. I check to see how the church decided to phrase the words on the bookplate dedicating its use to the Lord’s worship.
Formations 10.30.2016: Start Again
October 23, 2016 by
Harvey Thomas Young, a musician from Austin, Texas, wrote a song called “Start Again.” First a poem written on the back of a postcard to his brother in jail, his manager saw it and requested he set the poem to music.
Formations 09.25.2016: Hope in Christ’s Appearing
September 18, 2016 by
In the religious circles I tend to run in, there are a lot of people who grew up in churches that were saturated with the teachings purported experts on end-times prophecy. They grew up with that kind of theology, but somewhere along the way, that theology got, well, left behind.
Connections 09.11.2016: The Hope of “That Day”
September 4, 2016 by
If you’re a regular reader of Coracle—or a regular participant in a Bible study class that uses it—you may or may not read the Scripture references before you read the articles. Today, I encourage you to look up Isaiah 25:6-10a and read it thoughtfully before you go any further.
Formations 08.07.2016: Obadiah
July 31, 2016 by
The truth is that we don’t know who Obadiah was. Some people even think his name, meaning “servant of the Lord,” was just a title. Whoever he was, he came from a world that was falling apart.
Connections 07.24.2016: Hope Called and Love Answered
July 17, 2016 by
I remember an old Gospel song: “Justice Called and Mercy Answered.” Were I to write a song based on Romans 5:1-11, I’d call it “Hope Called and Love Answered.”
Formations 12.27.2015: Only the Beginning
December 20, 2015 by
This December, we reach the 150-year anniversary of when the United States officially ratified and adopted the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution.
Formations 12.13.2015: Freedom to Hope
December 6, 2015 by
Zechariah’s song leads us through the second week of Advent in celebration and hope. But in this Scripture text, Zechariah’s song is almost as important as his months of silence leading up to it.
Crossroads: The Candle of Prophecy/Hope
November 30, 2015 by
Welcome to the first week of Advent! Advent is a time of preparation, when we wait and prepare for the Christ child. Each week you will light a new candle as we recognize the things that Christ brings to this world.
Uniform 09.27.2015: Dancing in the Silence
September 20, 2015 by
At a Baptist Student Union meeting in college, I heard a charming story about a dancer who was on stage, in the middle of a performance, when her music stopped. If you’ve ever stood in front of a crowd for any reason, you can imagine how she felt: heart pounding, stomach clenching, face flushing.
Formations 07.19.2015: God Speaks from the Whirlwind
July 12, 2015 by
If we have read Job diligently, we arrive at chapter 38 perhaps a bit worse for wear. We have listened in on anguished expressions of pain, smug assertions of theological correctness, and fierce protests.
Use It or Lose It
March 4, 2015 by
Antonio Stradivari was the master instrument maker of the last five hundred years. He built a number of stringed masterpieces: Harps, cellos, and guitars. But his name is most closely associated with his violins
Formations 02.15.2015: A New Creation
February 8, 2015 by
The apocalyptic outlook of today’s passage may be challenging for modern readers. Apocalyptic is a mindset prevalent in some circles of early Judaism and Christianity. It is not quite the same thing as prophecy.
Formations 02.08.2015: Haitian Conditions Slowly Improving
February 1, 2015 by
Five years after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti, there are signs of improvement…. Industry is being rebuilt, and they are even making gains to improve health.
Crossroads: Hope – Ezekiel
January 5, 2015 by
Sometimes our world seems hopeless. Whenever I see the news about a natural disaster, a terrible crash, or a horrific tragedy, the world seems hopeless in those moments. But then something happens.
Crossroads: The Christ Candle
December 25, 2014 by
Christmas Day has finally come! Christ is born! Today, we light the Christ Candle in the center of our Advent wreath. All the candles glow today. The world is bright and warm.
Crossroads: The Candle of Peace/Love – Angels
December 21, 2014 by
During the fourth week of Advent, you will light three purple candles and the pink candle. The first two purple candles are the candle of prophecy/hope and the candle of Bethlehem.
Crossroads: The Candle of Prophecy – Elizabeth and Zechariah
November 30, 2014 by
Welcome to the first week of Advent, a time of waiting and preparation as we prepare for the birth of Christ. This week you will light the first purple candle, the candle of prophecy and hope.
Uniform 11.30.2014: Gratitude and Hope
November 23, 2014 by
This week marks the start of a new season on the church calendar. It is Advent, the time when Christians wait with hopeful expectation for the coming of Christ. As it so often does, this first Sunday of Advent—when we light the candle of hope on our wreaths—falls just a few days after Thanksgiving.
Uniform 11.23.2014: A Step in a New Direction
November 16, 2014 by
On April 15, 2013, thousands of runners participated in the annual Boston Marathon. Most of them had trained for weeks, building up their bodies for the strenuous race. They had persisted, getting up early to run each morning, improving their pace and hoping for a personal record.