When You See the Crumbs

?August 2, 2009 Proper 13 2 Samuel 11:26-12:1-13 The cookies seemed to disappear more quickly than they should. The mother suspected that her 5-year-old was developing skills that would serve him well in FBI covert ops. She asked him if he was taking cookies when he shouldn't. He shrugged his shoulders and didn't answer.

The Perilous Pursuit

July 26, 2009 ?Proper 12 2 Samuel 11:1-15 Playing catch is a universal game. It only requires two or more people and something to throw. When I was 10 years old, my neighborhood's preferred item was a baseball. We seemed to lose most of them and never seemed to have more than one; so when the well-worn tan ball with red stitching went down the sewer opening, we had to go after it. Charlie's dad had a crowbar to pry open the cast iron lid, and Chris volunteered to go down into the ankle-deep stagnant water, past spider webs and slime.

The Challenge of Faith (Gen. 22:1-5)

Faith is a challenge. God never asks for that which means little to us. Invariably, it's something we've worked hard for or waited a long time for; something-or someone-we're thoroughly invested in. Not only that, it's something God Himself has given us. According to this sermon on faith, it is only when we understand that God, the Giver, can be thoroughly trusted, that we are freed to give back to him.

Whose Plan Is It Anyway?

July 19, 2009 ?Proper 11 2 Samuel 7:1-14a Have you ever conceived a plan that you thought was perfect, only to find out that no one wanted to do it? Were you crushed? Did you become discouraged or depressed? What went wrong? What do you do now?