July 25, 2021 Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 23; Ephesians 2:11-22; Mark 6:30-44 Have you ever watched how sheep behave? I remember once, on a visit to Scotland, we were driving along a charming country road and suddenly our way was blocked by a huge flock of sheep being led, apparently, from one pasture to another by way of the main road. The sheep were in no rush. They trotted along, or stopped to nibble, oblivious to the growing line of traffic they were holding up. They were cont

July 18, 2021 Amos 7:1-17; 2 Samuel 6:14b-23; Psalm 24; Ephesians 1:3-4, 7; Mark 6:14-29 This past week we spent two days in Washington, seeing old friends and visiting a couple of museums. (It had the salutary effect of making me reeeeeeally glad to come home!) One morning, before it got too hot, we had a stroll around the perimeter of the White House which I am happy to report is returning to normalcy—fences are coming down, and while there is still a large police and Secre

July 11, 2021 Job 10:1-9; 38:1-7; 42:1-6, Psalm 46, Mark 6:1-6, 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 If I were giving a children’s sermon today, I’d be showing them this coaster. It has the familiar image of a jowly, cigar-smoking Winston Churchill with his message to the people of England during the second World War. “Keep Calm and Carry On.” And then I’d explain to the kids that he was saying this as the country was at war with Nazi Germany. I probably wouldn’t tell them the horrifying st