~ Matthew 5:38-48/Leviticus 19:18/Deuteronomy 19:16-21 ~ My sermon title today can be said in two different ways. One is as a prayer: “Jesus, this is really hard to do.” The second is, if you will, as a profane exclamation: “Jesus, this is really hard to do!” For here we have … Read More
~ Matthew 5:21-26/Psalm 119:1-8 ~ We continue our journey through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Two weeks ago, we considered the Beatitudes, about how the Kingdom of God is for those who do justice and those who experience injustice. Last Sunday we talked about how we are salt and light … Read More
~ Matthew 5:13-16 ~ It’s made of two of the most volatile elements on earth. Drop a lump of sodium in a bucket of water and it will explode with enough force to kill. Chlorine is even more deadly. It was the active ingredient in the poison gases used in … Read More
Matthew 5:1-12 One of the claims to fame for Noe Valley Ministry is that Bobby McFerrin once performed here. Bobby McFerrin, world musician extraordinaire, is also a bit of an eccentric. I once saw him conduct a Beethoven symphony in his bare feet. As a gesture of good will, the … Read More
Throughout history, musicians have turned to poets for the lyrics of their vocal compositions. Beethoven turned to Schiller for “Ode to Joy.” Mahler turned to Friedrich Glopstock for the text of his Resurrection Symphony: Aufersteh’n, ja aufersteh’n. And in the case of the piece The Artemis Trio will perform shortly, … Read More
~ John 1:29 -42 ~ Sometimes I’ll find myself in a store, like a clothing store, just standing there, you know, kind of looking lost. Inevitably, a store clerk will come up to me and say, “Can I help you find anything.” To which I’ll sometimes say, just to mess … Read More