“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” On the surface, Jesus’ demands resemble those of a typical cult or sect, where severing ties with family and friends, surrendering one’s wealth and giving total control…
“Father, I guess you will be too busy to come to our wedding party, but if you could, that would be lovely.” That was the most blatantly obvious “uninvitation” I received from a couple at whose marriage I was about to officiate. I have done many marriages over the years, especially early in my career. Most of the time, no…
One Sunday morning, an elderly man entered a church just before the service was about to start. Although his clothes were spotless, they were very worn and tattered. In his hand, he carried a battered old hat and an equally worn Bible. The church he entered was located in a very affluent and exclusive part of the city. It was…
At the time of writing this sermon, the US President and his Russian counterpart were about to meet in Alaska to discuss the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine. The stated aim of the American president was to stop the bloodshed and diplomatically resolve the war’s causes rather than through military force. On the radio station I have on in the…
A dying man entrusted each of his closest friends – a lawyer, doctor, and priest – with an envelope containing £25,000 to be placed in his coffin. A week later, after the man’s death, his friends each put an envelope into the coffin. Several months later, the priest confesses that he only included £10,000 and sent the rest to a…