All Past Reflections

Third Sunday after PentecostOpen & Affirming Sunday First Reading (Isaiah 43:1-3/NRSVUE, adapted)Gospel Reading (Matthew 5:13-16/NRSVUE, adapted) At last weekend’s Rocky Mountain Conference Annual Celebration I decided to participate in a workshop entitled...

First Sunday after Pentecost"Trinity" — Rev. Brent Gundlah First Reading (Psalm 8, NRSVUE)Gospel Reading (John 16:12-15, NRSVUE) I was an English major in college but was required to take about half of my classes in other subjects — ones with which I was far less...

Pentecost"The Spirit" — Rev. Brent Gundlah First Reading (Acts 2:1-21, NRSVUE)Gospel Reading (John 14:8-17, NRSVUE) I was in my office this past Tuesday morning, struggling mightily to come up with something to say here today, when it dawned on me that a change of...

Seventh Sunday in Easter"One" — Rev. Brent Gundlah First Reading (Acts 16:16-34/CEB)Gospel Reading (John 17:20-26/CEB) During this season of Easter — which ends next week with the celebration of Pentecost — most our first readings have been from the Acts of the...

Sixth Sunday in EasterEyes to See — Rev. Brent Gundlah First Reading (Acts 16:9-15/CEB)Gospel Reading (John 5:1-9/CEB) The theologian Karl Barth once gave this bit of advice to preachers: “Take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret...

Fourth Sunday in Easter"For the Long Haul" — Rev. Brent Gundlah First Reading (Acts 9:36-43/NRSVUE)Gospel Reading (John 10:22-30/NRSVUE) Music: HUCC Choir I’ve been doing this preaching thing long enough to have learned a few things, and one of those things is this:...

Third Sunday in Easter"Feeding Lambs & Tending Sheep" — Rev. Brent Gundlah First Reading (Acts 9:1-6/NRSVUE)Gospel Reading (John 21:1-19/NRSVUE) The building in which I lived during college had a pool table in the basement, and this was a mixed blessing (as...

Palm Suinday First Reading (Psalm 118:1-2,19-29/NRSVUE)Gospel Reading (Luke 19:28-48/NRSVUE) Hosana — Rev. Brent Gundlah One weekend many years ago, before our daughters were born, a friend and her two young sons came to our house for a visit. The kids were...

Fourth Sunday in LentFirst Reading (Joshua 5:9-12/CEB)Gospel Reading (Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32/NRSVUE) Our Ways and God's Ways — Rev. Brent Gundlah Today’s passage from Luke’s Gospel is, of course, the parable of the Prodigal Son. It’s one of those stories, like the...

First Reading (Isaiah 55:1-9/NRSVUE)Gospel Reading (Luke 13:1-9/CEB)Second Chances — Rev. Brent Gundlah Sure, things are kinda rough in our country and throughout our world these days, but, if Luke is to be believed, they were no picnic back in first century...