Home of the Darkwater Author
I enjoy walking labyrinths. Labyrinths are maze-like structures that have been used as spiritual tools for centuries. There are many of them around, and I am in the habit of trying to visit a lot of them. For more information about labyrinths, check out The Labyrinth Society. Find where labyrinths are in your area at the … Continue reading Labyrinth #70: Shanteel Serenity Walk, Sellersville, PA
Every Christmas Eve for the last ten years, my sermons have been odd. They've been dialogue sermons between me and Kermit the Frog. (You see, I discovered about twelve years ago that I have the ability to do an uncanny Kermit the Frog impression, and then eventually discovered it's a spiritual gift.) This is the … Continue reading While Quirinius was Governor (Christmas Eve Sermon)
I experienced recently the importance of context, and of framing. It was a very vivid moment, and it has to do with the image I used for my Blue Christmas sermon this year. I am on a number of email mailing lists connected to the Lutheran church, and I received an email from one of … Continue reading Seeing through Lenses
This is an adapted form of the sermon I preached for a Blue Christmas service on December 18, 2022. The gospel reading I preached on was John 1:1-14. You can watch the service here. The gospel reading and sermon begin around 14:30. I think there are at least two sides to Christmas. One of them … Continue reading Finding the Light of Christmas (Blue Christmas Sermon)
For my personal Advent devotions this year, I've been reading the book Wounded in Spirit: Advent Art and Meditations by David Bannon. Each day of Advent is devoted to a visual artist, usually a painter. Two or three of the artist's works are shared in full color, and an accompaning essay (or meditation) tells the … Continue reading Advent Blue
It's been a while since I blogged anything but a sermon. I want to break this silence, and as I thought about what to write about, it occurred to me that some of you shared that you appreciated my openness and honesty about the experiences I'd had at Alternatives, the partial hospitalization program I attended … Continue reading Catching the Backslide
This is an adapted version of the sermon I preached at our annual Blue Christmas service in 2021. Blue Christmas is a special service designed for people who find the holidays difficult. The gospel I preached on was John 1:1-14. When we think of the night sky at Christmas, I think we tend to think … Continue reading Lights in the Night Sky (Blue Christmas Sermon)
This is an adapted form of the sermon I preached today, the Fourth Sunday of Advent. The gospel text I used was not the standard one. I used the whole story of the angel Gabriel , Luke 1:8-19, 26-38; 2:8-13a. I preached in character, as the angel Gabriel speaking to a crowd of his fellow … Continue reading Gabriel’s Story (Sermon)
This is an adapted form of the sermon I preached this morning, the Third Sunday of Advent. I used alternates texts to what was assigned; the gospel text was Luke 1:39-55., the story of the Visitation. In the little town of NazarethShe was waiting for her wedding dayShe was nervous, excited, apprehensiveShe wondered what would … Continue reading Bearing Emmanuel (Sermon)
This is an adapted form of the sermon I preached this morning, December 5, 2021, the Second Sunday of Advent. I used alternate readings; this sermon is based on Luke 2:8-20. If you are a parent, think back to when your children were born. Who were the first people you told? How did you share … Continue reading Waiting with the Shepherds (Sermon)
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