Author: Administrador

Kae Evensen “As we continue to watch the regrowth, nature’s ability to recover after a fire is truly amazing and worth emulating. I challenge you to go out to the fire area. Enjoy God’s world in all its beauty. Suck up the fresh air and fill your body with new life. Become renewed in Spirit. … Continue reading “A Very Rare Flower”

David Lose Dear Working Preacher,   There’s a poignancy to this week’s gospel reading that is easy to miss. We tend to focus on the miracle of raising a young man to life. I understand that; it is, after all, a pretty astounding miracle. Nevertheless, I’d invite us instead to focus on the motivation behind … Continue reading “See, Thank, Tell”

Peter Lane The Purpose of PreachingWe preach to help people “discover a presence at the edge of [their] being,” to use a phrase from Jerome Berryman, the creator of Godly Play.1 That makes a sermon difficult to prepare; it is not easy to speak about things at the edge of our being. If we preachers follow … Continue reading “Godly Play and Preaching the Story”

David Lose Dear Working Preacher,   I’ll just come out and say it: this is one of my absolute favorite stories in Luke’s Gospel – heck, in the whole New Testament. In order to get at why, I thought I’d explore the story in four moves. You might find a sermon in the sweep of … Continue reading “Forgiveness & Gratitude”

Nathan Aaseng In trying to explain the rash of abysmal election predictions by media pundits, political analysts offered the concept of the “echo chamber.” The echo chamber is both a product of and a contributor to extreme polarization. When we speak and listen only to like-minded folks and hang around only those who share our … Continue reading “The Spiritual Echo Chamber”

Jacob Myers The other day my family and I ordered Chinese food from a local restaurant that we love. Along with our lo mein, sweet and sour chicken and fried rice (and a substantial dose of cholesterol that I don’t want to think about) each member of my family received a fortune cookie to top … Continue reading “Fortune Cookie Faith”

David Lose Dear Working Preacher,   I remember an English professor somewhere along the way saying there are only seven or eight great themes in literature — the struggle of human against nature, human against human, unrequited love, the quest for a better life, etc. I often think the same is true of preaching, and … Continue reading “Legion”

Patricia Tull During ordinary time this summer and fall, the lectionary offers semi-continuous readings from Luke and from several different epistles. Semi-continuous readings from the Old Testament begin a tour through several prophetic books, and complementary readings thematically pair Old Testament readings and Psalms with the Gospel lessons. The most consistent theme throughout July is … Continue reading “A Sustaining, Sustainable Gospel”

David Lose Dear Working Preacher,   As some of you may know, a whole lot of folks in the Twin Cities lost power over the weekend when a series of storms blasted their way through this region. I’m guessing some of you know this not because you live in Minnesota, but because Working Preacher was … Continue reading “Out of Control”

David Lose Dear Working Preacher,   So here’s my simple question: which was the greater gift Jesus bestowed on the disciples: the power to heal and cast out demons? Or the power to work together and rely on the hospitality of others?   I’m serious.   I think that when we read these passages, our … Continue reading “The Greater Gift”