We often ask ourselves, “Why am I here?” or, “Why do I exist?” But, beginning with “I” frames the question in the wrong way. Focusing on why “I” exist can only lead to follow up questions like “Why did God do this to me” and “Why is God testing me” […]
Carmine Pernini
Jesus for President? Amidst the often circus-like claims of the 2016 crop of presidential candidates I find myself wondering what might Jesus’ platform be if he were to run for president today? I suppose that such a question might strike you as absurd given that Jesus was curiously flippant when […]
Jesus for President?
Mark 4:35-41: On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves […]
“Peace Amidst the Storm” Sermon following the Mother Emanuel AME ...
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Over the past several weeks the Congregational Council has been meeting with Pastor Scott Schantzenbach who is the assistant to the bishop of the NJ Synod. Our conversations have been focused on the mission of Zion Evangelical Lutheran in particular and the mission of […]
Perfect Love
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. From the conclusion to William James’ The Varieties of Religious Experience “Science catalogues her elements and records her laws indifferent as to what purpose may be shown forth by them, and constructs her theories quite […]
A Good Friday Sermon
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Repent and believe. In Mark’s Gospel, these are the first words that Jesus says after he is Baptized. Repent and believe are the words that Jesus feels called to speak after having been dragged by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. Repent and believe […]
Our Wilderness
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, February 18 is Ash Wednesday. Lent ensues. The season of Lent was given its current shape in the 4th century by the Council of Nicea from which we get the Nicean Creed (“Please join me in professing our faith in the words of the […]
An Invitation to the Discipline of Lent
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, 2015 is here! The Earth has successfully made it around the Sun yet another time! On December 31 the world partook of New Year’s Eve celebrations which mark the most popular secular holiday on the planet. Many people sang “Auld Lang Syne,” or “days […]
“Should old times be forgot?” Prayer and Eternity
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, There is a difference between optimism and hope. Ambrose Bierce, in his Devil’s Dictionary, defines optimism as, “The doctrine, or belief that everything is beautiful, including what is ugly, everything good, especially the bad, and everything right that is wrong… [optimism is] an intellectual […]