Readings: Acts 1: 1-11; Ephesians 4: 1-13; Mark 16: 15-20Click here to download a PDF of this homily.Preacher: Christine Nowak Kvam At the time of his Ascension, Jesus gives his followers an enormously important charge: “You will be my witnesses.” Many of the earliest Apostles took on this responsibility by becoming missionaries (and according to Mark 15:17-18 apparently also invincible,… read more →
Readings: Isaiah 42: 1-4.6-7; Acts 10: 34-38; Mark 1: 7-11Click here to download a PDF of this homily.Preacher: Christine Nowak Kvam As the Gospel writers tell it, the significance of Jesus’ baptism isn’t really in the ritual of cleansing with water. The real meaning is found in what happens next. In a couple of simple sentences, Mark tells us three… read more →
Readings: Jeremiah 20: 7-9; Romans: 12: 1-2; Matthew 16: 21-27Click here to download a PDF of this homily.Preacher: Christine Nowak Kvam As we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment this month, local hero Susan B. Anthony got some well-deserved attention. As an advocate, author, and agitator, she did not meet her society’s expectations of womanhood. A quote often… read more →
Readings: Acts 6:1-17; 1 Peter 2:4-9 and or John 14: 1-12Click here to download a PDF of this homily.Preacher: Christine Nowak Kvam It seems like a safe bet to say that those of us who read the reflections posted here are “Church nerds.” So many of us are probably familiar with the little ache that develops in our hearts on… read more →
Readings: Genesis 18: 20-32; Colossians 2: 12-14; Luke 11: 1-13Click here to download a PDF of this homily.Preacher: Christine Nowak Kvam A few weeks ago, we bought a new-to-us car. Because my husband has more energy and patience than I do, he was making sure our two-and-a-half-year-old wasn’t using the crayons provided at the children’s table to color the sparkling… read more →
Readings: Isaiah 43:16-21; Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8Click here to download a PDF of this homily. Preacher: Christine Kvam Turning on the news often reveals the suffering in our world, and the beginning of this Sunday’s Gospel reading presents us with yet another situation of darkness. Our hearts are moved by the pain of death, loss, and grief. But this Gospel… read more →
Readings: Joshua 24: 1-2A, 15-17, 18B; Ephesians 5:21-32, or 5: 2A, 25-32; John 6: 60-69 Click here to download a PDF of this homily. Preacher: Christine Nowak A popular strategy for parenting toddlers is to offer them concrete choices. For example, “We’re about to go into the parking lot. Do you want to hold my hand or do you want… read more →
Readings: Leviticus 13: 1-2, 44-46; 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1; Mark 1: 40-45 Click here to download a PDF of this homily. Preacher: Christine Kvam How humiliating. That was my first thought when I looked at this Sunday’s Hebrew Scripture reading from Leviticus. To have to shout, “Unclean!” and live outside the community because of something out of your control…how humiliating. As… read more →
Readings: Acts 2: 14, 22-33; 1 Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24: 13-35 Preacher: Christine Kvam Last month I happened to be in the right place at the right time and was able to put my 2 ½-year-old nephew, Miles, to bed on the night his parents were at the hospital after the birth of their second son. I was delighted to… read more →
Readings: Wisdom 11:22-12:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2, Luke 19 1-10. Preacher: Christine Kvam When the San Francisco 49ers came to Buffalo to play the Bills two weeks ago, some fans in the parking lot took a knee during the national anthem in a show of solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. There were also people there who bought t-shirts with Kaepernick’s image in… read more →