Watch the sermon here. I have to admit that taking on Psalm 23 feels a bit like getting up to sing Karaoke, and then selecting “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond. Most everyone knows it, most everyone likes it, but the chances of doing it any justice feel very slim. Psalm 23 is one of theRead more
Today we’re beginning a season in the book of Psalms. Which reminds me of a story I once heard of a traveling preacher who visited a small, rural church and began his sermon by saying, “Since I’m new, I asked your minister for a list of all of you, broken down by age and byRead more
It came as little surprise to me that Jennifer passed away when she did. We had many conversations about death, about eternity, about what it meant to trust that God would keep her safe, maker her well, in this life or the next. In fact, I felt warmed to walk away from one of myRead more
Luke 9.46-48 Watch the sermon here. The island of Capri in southern Italy is a playground for the rich and famous. Visit and you’ll see super-yachts, fancy restaurants, and high fashion boutiques. Capri is a place synonymous with opulence and wealth, and the Roman ruins there tell us it was the same in Jesus’ day.Read more
Colossians 1.9-11 Last year a handful of us on the team set up portable workspaces in our church sanctuary, spreading out around the room in a kind of physically distant communal office. We didn’t take that time together for granted, because even though the faces were repetitive, they were at least live faces! Of course,Read more
LWC May 9, 2021Essentials: Spirit (fruit)Galatians 5.16-25 Happy Mother’s Day. Today we’re talking about what we heard in the passage a moment ago: how does the produce of a life with God’s Spirit turn up in us and through us? As it’s Mother’s Day, maybe a parenting picture will help to begin. Anyone who’s gone onRead more
NUCLEAR This is our second talk on body in our Essentials series. Last week Rikk took us on a tour of scripture in relation to the body. What did we hear? We heard that humans are God’s refection, embodiments of God’s presence and character within creation; that every human is made in the image of God, so what weRead more
LWC March 28, 2021John 13. 1-17Watch / Listen Here I’ve only had my feet washed by someone once. I was twenty-three, had just become a pastor and of course already knew an awful lot about what it meant to be a one. Surprisingly, I think I know much less now than I did back then.Read more
Matthew 20.1-16 (The Workers in the Vineyard) The story of the workers in the vineyard reminds me of a play I saw a number of years ago called Jesus Hopped the A Train. It’s set in Rikers Prison and surrounds a couple of characters who’ve been locked up for murder. It was a very uncomfortable play,Read more
Essentials SERIES: Creation (part two)Living Waters Church, February 7, 2021Psalm 24.1-2, 7-10 The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all it’s people belong to him…Open up, ancient gates!Open up, ancient doors,and let the King of glory enter. This is the second week in our Essentials series where we’re looking at what shapes aRead more