A few weeks ago when Peter asked if I would preach on Palm Sunday he said, “You remember that story right?” I smiled and said, “Isn’t that the one where they broke out some leaf and Jesus almost got stoned off his ass?” Now, I can imagine there’s a lot of confusion in the room …
There’s been a question dripping off my chin for the last year, something I’ve been trying to make sense of in my own life and I hope that me unpacking it might serve some of you as well. And it all centers on my relationship with my parents. But first, a bit of backstory. Family …
On a quiet evening thirty-something years ago, my family gathered in the living room and asked that oh so common question, “What should we watch?” My dad pulled out either the TV listings from the newspaper or a paperback copy of TV Guide and began mentioning things he thought might interest my mom, brother, and …
Good morning. So for those of you who don’t know me obviously my name is Joe. Part of the reason I’m standing here right now is that I’m a recovering Lutheran pastor. And I mean that in a few different ways. Recovering, Lutheran, Pastor In one sense there’s a part of me that is still …
On Sunday, January 24, 2021 I preached on the right way to be hated at The Sanctuary in Denver, CO. The essay on love and power that shaped my thinking is the second chapter of Henri Nouwen’s book, Intimacy.