Sharing a poem today by David Sparenburg, which was printed in the January-March 2010 Baptist Peacemaker.  This poem is for voices who protest, for people of faith whose way is not easy, for everyone who longs for the courage to live a life of intentionality and purpose. Blessed are you thirst that teaches me the piety of water. Blessed are you hunger that teaches me the generosity of bread.   Blessed are… Read More

We gathered on Sunday evening in the Calvary chapel to pray for peace and remember the life of Monsignor Oscar Romero.  Many had also spent the day marching at a rally demanding immigration reform in this country.  As we held our candles remembered the life of this one who held up God’s compassion for the poor, our Associate Pastor Edgar Palacios offered this prayer for peace (English translation printed here): God of… Read More

Why do people make the decision to have children?  I suppose there are all kinds of reasons, as many reasons, even, as there are people having those children.  But today being the anniversary of my first-ever day as a parent some sixteen years ago, I’ve been wandering a lot down memory lane trying to remember what I was thinking when I decided it might be a good idea to bring a child… Read More

It is my opinion that preaching on The Parable of the Prodigal Son is almost as challenging as preaching on Easter.  On the other hand, it’s a unique kind of discipline to open such a familiar text and try to read it with new eyes.   This time around I couldn’t help but think about how all the characters in the story are a little bit lost, and maybe it’s our challenge… Read More

We affectionately call our community the Zoo, mostly because you never know what might happen when you show up for worship at Calvary Baptist Church.  In the seven years I have been here, for example, we have had arrests in worship, the fire alarm going off during the sermon, complete failure of the sound system, visitors with tambourines, etc.  One notable Sunday last summer, a visitor came to worship . . …. Read More

So far, so good in Richmond.  I’m having a great time enjoying the hospitality of the fine folks at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and it seems like I haven’t scared them too much yet.  We’re spending the week reading Gospel passages and exploring what it might mean for us to live a radical Gospel…The Gospel in the Twenty-First Century is our theme.  Today we read the story from John Chapter 2, the story of… Read More