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Sermon preached at Church of the Good Shepherd, United Methodist, Columbus, Ohio, Ash Wednesday, February 25, 2009. “Calling All Phonies” Isaiah 58:1-12; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 It is quite an indictment, isn’t it? “Shout out – don’t hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet!” It gets one’s attention, doesn’t it? “Announce to my people their rebellion!” Isaiah is telling us: Sit up! Pay Attention! Listen with all your might! Then, speaking for God, Isaiah lays out the problem: The people are complaining to God that despite their consistent fasting and prayer, they feel God is not listening to them. Isaiah has a different point of view: The people are a bunch of phonies and hypocrites. Why? Isaiah says – you’re fasting and praying, but you still oppress your workers. You fast and pray, but you still quarrel and fight and lash out in anger. You fast and pray and genuflect and bow and wear sackcloth and ashes and make a big production out

Sermon preached at Church of the Good Shepherd, United Methodist, Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday, February 22, 2009. “A Transfigured Life” II Kings 2:1-12; Mark 9:2-9 Transfiguration, “B” For a moment, just a moment, just beyond the edge of awareness, just beyond my peripheral vision, just beyond where I could reach and touch it – there was the brilliant holiness of God, an eternal truth that went beyond words. We had spent the day exploring the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. We walked around in town, checking out all the tourist trap shops. We walked along the leisure path in the park that adjoins the falls and saw the falls, felt the spray, walked up river and saw the water that was making its way to thunder over the falls. We rode the Maid of the Mist and felt the incredible power at the base of the falls. We made our way back up to the park and had ice cream and watched a street musician perform. Then, as we walked back toward the van, tired from our day,

Sermon preached at Church of the Good Shepherd, United Methodist in Columbus, Ohio on February 15, 2009: “When Exclusion Brings Inclusion” II Kings 5:1-14; Mark 1:40-45 February 15, 2009 When I arrived as the new pastor for a small suburban church in Toledo, I heard some concerns immediately. This church had come through some difficult times, including the sudden death of one of their pastors just a few years before. The person who followed as pastor was not universally liked by the congregation. Chaos ensued. I arrived on the heels of a person who’d been there ten months as an interim. Understandably, many in the congregation felt like they’d kind of been “on hold” for some time. So, Bob pulled me aside right away. “Don,” he said, “your predecessor really alienated a lot of people. A loft of families left. We still think there’s a chance some of them will return if you reach out.” And he had a list! Names, addresses, phone numbers, directions to their houses from the church

I have always had a love/hate relationship with mission / vision statements. When they are done well, are easy to understand, and are relevant to the group of folks who created it, they can be a real help in accomplishing that which said group is called to accomplish. But when they are not done well, they can become vapid and meaningless, calling people to nothing at all. I've walked with congregations three times through the development of new mission/vision statements. The first was Ottawa River UMC in Toledo. We spent a great deal of time in discernment, created a wonderfully catchy statement, and then I was moved two months later. That church later merged with another and its mission was subsumed by other priorities. The statement accomplished little. The next time I had the chance to be involved in this was at King Ave. UMC here in Columbus. We spent some time in 2001 developing a new statement (which I think has since been replaced or modified). It was held up and pro

This is the text of the sermon preached on February 8, 2009 at Church of the Good Shepherd, United Methodist. “Silencing the Demons” Isaiah 40:21-31; Mark 1:29-39 Fifth Sunday of Epiphany, “B” February 8, 2009 “And Jesus cast out many demons, and would not allow them to speak, because they knew him.” (Mark 1:34) Oh, dear – what shall we do with this? Demons? Really? We got them last week, too, remember? Jesus cast a demon out of a man in the synagogue who interrupted him. What is this about? We just don’t think in those terms now. Does that mean we set aside each passage that mentions demons? If not, then what do we do? Does anyone else get stuck with images from The Exorcist in their head when they hear passages like that? Anybody else witness a tantrum from a youngster in a public place and think to themselves, “Well, I’m glad MY child isn’t like little Damien there?” Yet here we are with demons showing up in Marks gospel over and over, and yet the concept is almost a joke to us now.