Tag Archives: Worship

A Bigger Mission, a sermon for the installation of the Rev. Ron Phares at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, Colorado Springs

It is my honor to be here with you on this great occasion, and for Rev. Sean Neil-Barron (who will offer the blessing) and I to bring you greetings from the northern end of the Front Range. Your new minister … Continue reading

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Gather in Joy – a sermon for our first Sunday in our new sanctuary

Can you believe it?! I never doubted we would get here, really, but we have been talking about needing a bigger sanctuary since I started at Foothills 11 years ago, and that conversation had been going on long before I … Continue reading

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Sundays

Sometimes, on Sunday evenings, I feel in my body, the sense memory from my senior year of high school of the hours after a swim meet, or a tennis match, or a calculus test. Growing up these were the markers, … Continue reading

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True Lies – An April Fool’s Day Easter Sermon

Before the sermon we explored the Gospel of Mark’s telling of the empty tomb, and the idea that the truth of a story isn’t as important as the truth in a story. Then, we read Wendell Berry’s Manifesto: Mad Farmer’s … Continue reading

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A/Part: God as Presence, Partner, and Process

Last Sunday, Sean ended his sermon on Humanist Becoming by reminding us of this picture. It is the image that Carl Sagan describes as the pale blue dot of earth. “Look at that dot.” He says. “That’s here. That’s home. … Continue reading

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Preaching in the Context of Diversity

Next Tuesday, as a part of a conference at the Iliff School of Theology, I will sit on a panel about Preaching in the Context of Diversity.  We’re covering the topic in three ways: rhetorically, liturgically, and biblically.  I’m responsible for the … Continue reading

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Where Life Is – Easter Sermon, 2015

One more touch, one more real moment with him, or at least, with his body.  One more look at his face, his hair, his skin.  It would barely be him anymore, but it didn’t matter.  Three days had passed since he … Continue reading

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Doing Church Through Learning Communities

I often ask those who are newer to the church – what brought you here? Perhaps not surprisingly – I don’t get too many who say “I was really hoping to join a Committee!” And yet, without the loving hands … Continue reading

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Core Values in Creating Worship

Multiple Voices: In worship, we perform our mission- the congregation we are becoming; and as we perform it, we make it true. As a result, it matters who stands in front of the congregation and how they interact. It matters … Continue reading

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