Sermons
Traditions of Celebration
Scripture Reading and Reflections – Max Eckard As we planned today’s service, Trevor and I thought that the model Jodie and Nelson offered last week of diving into the lectionary text with scripture readings, reflections, and a message seemed to work relatively well, and so we’re repeating it today. I’ll Read more…
Uncategorized
Love Shack, Baby.
I’ve always known that that song by the B’52’s was a good song. I knew it the first time I heard it walking around the dorms at college. I knew it, but I didn’t really like it. It was 1989, I was 21, and leaning in hard to being as Read more…
Statements
Procedures around sexual abuse in the congregation.
Shalom is currently developing a more detailed list of procedures for responding to reports of abuse. We recognize that the local church is not competent to adjudicate reports of abuse. These accountability structures are in place at Shalom : The pastors are charged with pastoral care, and this includes hearing Read more…
Sermons
Art as the Cultivation of Your Own Story
Good morning! Today, I’d like to talk about “Cultivating Art and Discovering Your Own Story.” If we’re Facebook friends, you probably know that I’m an artist as well as a writer. So, in addition to writing memoirs and short stories, I do all sorts of art: painting, collages, art boxes Read more…
Repair
A Reparative Act
(Note: The audio version of this sermon includes sharing from the Dear White Christians book group: Ruth Shantz, Shelly Weaverdyck, Max Eckard, Laura Brubacher and Terri Friedline). There are many beginnings to this sermon, but no endings. Perhaps much of the Christian life is like this. We come into our Read more…
Sermons
Camels at Epiphany
I’ve mentioned before that one of the things that gives me hope for the new year is the election of Eli Savit as Washtenaw County Prosecutor. I enjoyed spending some time yesterday afternoon watching Eli and his Chief Assistant Prosecutor, Victoria Burton-Harris, being sworn in and attending a reception celebrating Read more…
Sermons
Sheep and Goats
There is an old story about a long one lane road. An Amish farmer and his friend were driving their horse and buggy along the road when they met a car driven by a cantankerous English man. The English man got out of his car and yelled at the Amish Read more…
Sermons
The Fly
The common housefly, Musca Domestica, has lived alongside humans for as long as we have been human. We regard these creatures as pests. And with good reason, for although their living alongside us is commensal offering neither benefit nor harm directly, they are significant vectors of both disease and filth. Read more…
Sermons
Cup Bearer to Washtenaw County
I’m going to begin this morning with a confession. I’ve had a hard week. Most of you know that five years ago I was a successful academic with an elite position in my hometown. 2016 was a brutal year for me as I lost that work and entered what would Read more…