Prodigal Son 3 – Beyond Belief

Categories Hopewell Messages, Jesus, Luke 15, Parables, Prodigal Son, Theology

In 1859 Charles Blondin became famous for walking across Niagara Falls on a tightrope.  After his first successful attempt he began to do it many times with different gimmicks.  But, the time he is most famous for is the day he walked across niagara falls blindfolded pushing a wheelbarrow. The crowd ooh’d and aah’d with each step, the tension mounting over each movement.  And when he completed his 1/4 mile walk the crowd erupted with cheers.  The story goes that Blondin played to their emotions…Continue Reading “Prodigal Son 3 – Beyond Belief” →

Prodigal Son 2 – Will and Welcome

Categories Hopewell Messages, Jesus, Prodigal Son, Theology

There once was a man who had two sons. The younger son says to the father that he wants his share of the inheritance now. This is horribly offensive, asking for something like this can split a family, and can turn your community against you. While it would be quite uncommon, it’s not unprecedented. There are actually ways to handle this situation should they come up. First, if there is an older son, it is his role to quell this issue, to talk to the…Continue Reading “Prodigal Son 2 – Will and Welcome” →

Prodigal Son 1 – Worth and Waiting

Categories Hopewell Messages, Jesus, Luke 15, Prodigal Son, Theology

So, there was a man who had two sons.  The younger says to the father that he wants his share of the inheritance now (a very 1st century Jewish way of saying, I wish you were dead).  The father could say no, but he doesn’t.  The father actually does it, he gives the younger son the inheritance.  The son then goes to a foreign country and wastes his wealth in wild living.  Then a famine comes in.  Having spent his wealth and being hungry, the…Continue Reading “Prodigal Son 1 – Worth and Waiting” →

Announcement and Experiment

Categories Jesus, Luke 15, News, Parables, Prodigal Son, Religion, Theology

I think most know by now, but in June I’ll be back under an appointment.  I’ll be serving part time at Hopewell UMC.  This I am quite excited about.  So, for the last couple weeks I’ve been dusting off my sermonizing brainstorm abilities.  With this I have a little experiment I would like to try. I love to give messages.  I enjoy the studying, learning about a topic or a passage, finding out about the background, finding new nuances, treasures that bring new life to…Continue Reading “Announcement and Experiment” →

Ash Wednesday Reflections

Categories Theology, Uncategorized

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, from the earth you came, to the earth you shall return. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of lent, a 40 day preparation towards the cross and ultimately resurrection.  It is a time of preparation, it is a time of in some ways dying.  Because death is the engine of life. Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies it can never be anything more than a seed.  Lent is a somber time in which we make an inward…Continue Reading “Ash Wednesday Reflections” →