17th Sunday after Pentecost

Readings for today.

Watch the service (on YouTube) here.

“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” (Mt 21:23). 

The chief priests and elders of the Jerusalem Temple are charged with keeping order in the holiest of holy places in Judaism.  And they want to know who gives Jesus authority to upend the tables of the merchants (which he has done recently) and question the economy of the Temple.  Is he just another fanatic who wants to disrupt the status quo without offering any real, constructive alternative?  Or does he actually have authority to call for a new order?

16th Sunday after Pentecost - First Sunday at Trinity

Readings for today.

Watch the service (on YouTube) here.

Good morning, Trinity!

It is so good to be here with you!  My official first day was last Monday, and it’s been a full week of meeting new people, starting to learn about Trinity, and figuring out how to use new technologies.  Thank you to all of you for your patience as I assimilate a lot of new information.  I am so very excited to already be in the midst of figuring out what God has in mind for us to do together.

12th Sunday after Pentecost

Readings for today.

Preached for Church of the Good Shepherd, Federal Way, WA.

Watch the service here.

“Who do you say that I am?” Jesus asks his disciples.  Peter, whose faith frequently falters, gets the right answer, “You’re the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Peter’s answer, even if he might not know what it means, even if it’s an answer of faith rather than evidence (yet), has me thinking it’s probably important for us to be able to name who Jesus is as well.  As his disciples in the 21st century.  As followers of a living God, whose story is still unfolding.