The other night I went to a concert at the 9:30 club. The band was called Volcano Choir. You’ve probably never heard of them. The lead singer, Justin Vernon, once had a slightly more famous group called “Bon Iver.” They sang plaintive acoustic ballads about “skinny love.” Justin Vernon, the lead singer, took the stageContinueContinue reading “God at the 9:30 club: Evangelism and the Lost Sheep”
Category Archives: Church
The Ethics of Ambition
Ambition hangs in the air in Washington, like the late August humidity that came back with a force this week. This city lives and breathes ambition, which is fitting. Ambition comes from the same latin root as amble, to walk around. Ambition originally, literally, referred to someone who walked around asking for your vote. WeContinueContinue reading “The Ethics of Ambition”
Gritty faith
I feel like I need to start this sermon with a bit of an apology. Here we are. It’s summer, August in Washington. Feels like half the city is on vacation, and yet you are here. You came to church. And then we had these readings. Isaiah is trampling vineyards. The book of Hebrews isContinueContinue reading “Gritty faith”
The Lord’s Prayer: A Sermon for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost
If you were asked to “give a summary of the Christian faith on the back of an envelope, the best thing to do would be to write the Lord’s Prayer:” advice from Rowan Williams, former archbishop of Canterbury. More than any creed, more than any book of theology, this simple short prayer expresses the fullnessContinueContinue reading “The Lord’s Prayer: A Sermon for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost”
Mike Angell 