Tonight’s service was a Calvary version of a traditional tenebrae service.  In this service the light was extinguished, little by little, as we heard scripture, music, and poetry that told the stories of our faith and made space for reflection.  Our service ended with the Kol Nidre played on the cello, an Aramaic prayer usually played or sung at the opening Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.  At the end of worship the sanctuary was very… Read More

From Palms to Protest Matthew 21:1-11 Think back, if you will, to January 20, 2009.  It was a notable day, as the United States inaugurated the 44th president of the United States and our first black president, Barack Obama.  I think most anywhere in the world with a satellite signal you would know that something big was going on, but friends!  Some of us were here!  In the middle of it all…. Read More

Speaking of Sin: Salvation John 11:1-45 “Are you saved?” A few years ago someone asked me that question…and I didn’t know what to say. That’s what an evangelical childhood plus a seminary education will do to you. I didn’t know how to answer what seemed to the questioner a pretty straightforward query.  That’s because salvation is a word fraught with contradictions and misunderstandings.  But it’s a concept inherent in everything God is… Read More