2nd Sunday after EpiphanyJanuary 19, 2025John 2.1-11 If I’m being honest, as I’ve gotten older and as I’ve done more conscientious reading about his life, I’ve found myself nervous, and if anything, frustrated by Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. Let me be explicitly clear here, not because of him, because let’s be real if there is any human being deserving of a day of honor, respect, and memorial, it’s him. No, I find myself frustrated with what ends up being…
Baptism of Our LordJanuary 12, 2025Luke 3.15-17, 21-22 This past week, my sisters and I and our book club went to New York City to see Our Town. We had read a book last summer that heavily featured the play and so we jumped at the opportunity to see it live, even while knowing that we weren’t exactly signing up for the most upbeat of evenings in the city. This is where I give the requisite spoiler alert for a…
EpiphanyJanuary 5, 2025Matthew 2.1-12 So we’re going to give a shout out to the history nerds amongst us this morning by spending a little time with the worst and allegedly mad monarchs of all time. Let’s start with some of the obvious—Caligula. You may know some facts about him, but did you know that he banned the mention of goats in his presence and attempted to get his horse elected to a position on his council. Ivan the Terrible of…
Biography: My family moved from New Jersey to Newport News, VA when I was about seven years old, my sister ten, my brother four. That was my dad’s last work-related move, and I’ve been here ever since. We began attending Trinity Lutheran Church shortly thereafter when services were still being held in the downtown Newport News location and joined about a year later. My parents were members until their deaths, my brother and sister until marriage and jobs took them…