Nativity by John Donne Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb, Now leaves His well-belov’d imprisonment, There He hath made Himself to His intent Weak enough, now into the world to come; But O, for thee, for Him, hath the inn no room? Yet lay Him in this Continue Reading
April 7, 2012
A Pastoral Epistle to Our Colleagues and Friends on Easter 2012
My beloved in Christ and Friends of RTS: It is that time of the year when there is a special remembrance on the first day of the week of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we think about this day of days, which we name the Continue Reading
April 4, 2012
His Passion—Our Pattern: Following Jesus in Holy Week
To follow Jesus Christ, as a pastor, as a believer, is to go to places you never expected. That is opposite of what some suggest. Even those who are repulsed by a "health and wealth" Gospel seem to sometimes suggest that following the principles of Christ Continue Reading
October 11, 2011 Leave a Comment
“At the Cross, at the Cross…”
There is no joy like that of pasting a flock of Jesus Christ’s. And so I have received this invitation from my friend, Pastor James Carter, to preach this installation service, with great joy, but also with a prayer that the Word of God and love and Continue Reading
May 6, 2011 1 Comment
Love in Time and Devotions with Donne
Books and music are friends. When I am sick I read. I also listen to music. I guess I also write to medicate myself with what I have read and listened to. Now this is going to be my shortest post in a long while, which could be a relief to some Continue Reading
January 20, 2011
What God Has Done To Death
A Message of Witness to the Resurrection This message was preached at the funeral service of a dear brother in Christ. Introduction "Death be not proud, for thou art not so,"[1] wrote John Donne (1572-1631), the great poet and much-quoted pastor of St. Continue Reading
December 12, 2009 8 Comments
Advent Quotes for Reflection on the Nativity of Jesus Christ
I always seek to place a "reflections" in the bulletin. I believe that for most people the Church, and in particular the liturgy of the Church, is the primary way that the sacred words and the familiar words and the poetry and literature of Western Continue Reading
February 17, 2008
“I Will Stand by the Door” Pastoral Ministry and Shaking Hands
In this political season we are in, I have been watching the news on television and seeing a lot of hand shaking. As I watched, the other day, I thought of a particular moment in my ministry. It happened as an elder of our church observed me greeting folk Continue Reading
