2020 September

Hearing Our Similarities

Hearing Our Similarities

When we mishear a song lyric or a statement and replace it with others words that make far more sense to us, it is called a Mondegreen (see last week’s blog for the origin of this expression). Examples abound, but let me offer you just five: Instead of hearing, “Baby come back, you can blame it all on me” (from the song, “Baby, Come Back” by Player), some hear “Baby, come back, you can play Monopoly.” Instead of hearing, “Taking care of business,” (from the song of the same name by Bachman-Turner Overdrive), some hear “Baking carrot biscuits.” Instead of hearing, “Hit me with your best shot” (by Pat Benatar), some hear (or are going to hear from now on), “Hit me with your pet shark.” Instead of hearing, “I’ll never be your beast of burden” (Rolling Stones), many have heard, “I’ll never leave your pizza burning” which is a

Some Truly Good News about the Bible

Some Truly Good News about the Bible

This sermon is based on 2 Timothy 3:14-17. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: During the early days of the pandemic, John Krasinski produced a web series that brought good news to people when good news was in short supply. It was great, but it was a long time ago. There is a lot of bad news out there—pandemics, wildfires, hurricanes, racism, injustice, poverty, huge chunks of Greenland falling into the ocean, things like that. And unfortunately, there are many more things like that. And many of these things are causing people to question God’s goodness and to doubt that God exists. And that can’t be good. What we need today is some good news to counteract all this bad news so that our faith will be encouraged and we will

Hearing Our Differences

Hearing Our Differences

Sylvia Wright loved to listen to her mother read poetry to her when she was a young child. In particular, she loved hearing her mom read from a book of poems and ballads from 1765, entitled Reliques of Ancient English Poetry (I’m sure we read this same book to our kids when we weren’t reading Batman or the latest issue of The Hockey News). In any case, Wright particularly love the sad ballad of the Earl and Lady Mondegreen which begins with these lines: Ye Highlands and ye Lowlands, Oh, where hae ye been? They hae slain the Earl Amurray And Lady Mondegreen. Makes you feel sad all over, doesn’t it? I mean, it was bad enough they killed the Earl, but to do in Lady Mondegreen, also—well, that is inexcusable! Shockingly, many years later, Wright found out that there was no Lady Mondegreen! She had misheard the line. Instead,

Some Truly Good News about Christianity

Some Truly Good News about Christianity

This sermon starts our new series and is based on Acts 17:16-31. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: During the early days of the pandemic, John Krasinski produced a web series that brought good news to people when good news was in short supply. It was great, but it was a long time ago. There is a lot of bad news out there—pandemics, wildfires, hurricanes, racism, injustice, poverty, huge chunks of Greenland falling into the ocean, things like that. And unfortunately, there are many more things like that. And many of these things are causing people to question God’s goodness and to doubt that God exists. And that can’t be good. What we need today is some good news to counteract all this bad news so that our faith will be

To Quote Means Never Having to Say You’re Sorry

To Quote Means Never Having to Say You’re Sorry

Okay, I lied. I am sorry. But I have an excuse. I am an addict, and we all know that addicts cannot be trusted when it comes to their addiction. I said in our last blog featuring Martin Luther, that we had now completed our series. I even said it strong and bold: “Read my lips, no more quotes.” But here we are again, being assailed with more quotes. But it is more than I am just a quote addict, although I do feel rather powerless when it comes to the question as to whether to quote or not (much like Kierkegaard said, “I feel as if I were a piece in a game of chess, when my opponent says of it: That piece cannot be moved.”). It is more than that. I really wanted to be done, but the deepest recesses of my soul kept crying out, “How can

Falling Up: Mark

Falling Up: Mark

This sermon is based on Mark 14:43-52. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: The Bible starts off great. God creates this beautiful garden so that he may bless his people and dwell with them. He even calls their relationship very good. But three chapters into the story, the wheels come off; and from then on, the Bible mostly becomes a story of one failure after another. Sure, there are great success stories: Abraham (if we ignore the Hagar thing), Joseph (if we ignore his lying to his brothers), Moses (if we ignore the murder and the striking of the rock episode), Joshua (what a good guy!), the prophets, Mary and Joseph, and Jesus (I’m sure there are more, but not many more). Let’s face it, the Bible is chock full of

Say Hello to My Little Quote!

Say Hello to My Little Quote!

Marcus Aurelius left us this piece of great advice: “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” Amen to that! And think what a privilege it is to breathe in a great quote, to think about a great quote, to enjoy a well-timed quote and to love a fine quote! Indeed, it is a rich blessing! In fact, as we conclude this series on quotes today, let me remind you that to be given a great quote is to be thrice blessed (blessed upon its reception, blessed upon its pondering and blessed upon its sharing). Never forget that. Quotes are verbal blessings that can enrich your life. I know that is true, because it happened to me. I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up, not because I was weird or anything (let’s

Falling Up: Peter

Falling Up: Peter

This sermon is based on Matthew 26:31-35; 69-75. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel during the weeks we cannot meet due to Covid-19 restrictions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: The Bible starts off great. God creates this beautiful garden so that he may bless his people and dwell with them. He even calls their relationship very good. But three chapters into the story, the wheels come off; and from then on, the Bible mostly becomes a story of one failure after another. Sure, there are great success stories: Abraham (if we ignore the Hagar thing), Joseph (if we ignore his lying to his brothers), Moses (if we ignore the murder and the striking of the rock episode), Joshua (what a good guy!), the prophets, Mary and Joseph, and Jesus (I’m sure there are more, but not many more). Let’s face it, the Bible is chock full

Here’s Quoting at You, Kid

Here’s Quoting at You, Kid

I have argued in this series, that, as Gary Saul Morson has said, “Quotationality defines us. We are what we quote.” I firmly believe this, but many of you are still unconvinced. However, I would be willing to bet that you love quotes and already embrace hundreds of them, you just don’t know it. That’s right, I would be willing to bet you are a Subconscious Quotaholic. But already you scoff! “Even if it was true, how could you prove it?” you ask. Well step right up to my quiz of the day. I’ll give you 15 movie quotes with a key word replaced. I am willing to bet that you can easily replace the “wrong” word with the right one, thus proving my point. Go ahead, make my day! Just try not to “correct” these erroneous quotes! “I’ll get you my pretty, and your little quote, too!” “Why don’t