28th OT C ~ "The Tenth Leper" ~ Susan McGurgan
They had been cursed by God. Everyone knew that! They were visited by a plague that did not kill, but never seemed to end. Their families...
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susan mcgurgan
- Sep 26
- 3 min
27 OT C ~ "Stir into Flame" ~ Rev. Benjamin Roberts, DMin
On an early morning on a Saturday in early June, my mother was helping me to get dressed. I wasn’t a child; I was thirty-two. My mother...
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susan mcgurgan
- Sep 19
- 4 min
26th OT C ~ "Waiting at the Gate" ~ Susan McGurgan
He was almost invisible… The rich man, snug inside his home, simply couldn’t be bothered with every bum or beggar who lounged beside the...
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susan mcgurgan
- Sep 13
- 5 min
25th OT C ~ "Money and Masters and Eternity" ~ Susan McGurgan
There’s no way around it. This week’s Gospel is an odd little story that leaves us scratching our heads, and wondering what’s up. While...
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susan mcgurgan
- Sep 6
- 3 min
24th OT C ~ "A Spirit of Imprudence, a Book of Surprises" ~ Susan McGurgan
Have you ever wondered about the “titles” of scripture stories? Have you ever wondered where they came from and who created them, or how...
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susan mcgurgan
- Aug 30
- 5 min
23rd OT ~"Traveling with Jesus" ~ Rev. Richard Eslinger
It had been some time since Jesus had descended from the Mount of Transfiguration and set his face toward Jerusalem. As he journeyed...
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susan mcgurgan
- Aug 23
- 1 min
22nd OT C ~ "Make Room" ~ Fr. Jim Schmitmeyer
“When you throw a party,” says the Lord, “invite those whom everyone else overlooks.” Has anyone here ever attended a wedding or a...
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susan mcgurgan
- Aug 15
- 3 min
21 OT C ~"The Restoration Business" ~ Susan McGurgan
I come to gather nations of every language. God will call them from hard luck towns the highway commission ignored. God will gather them...
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susan mcgurgan
- Aug 8
- 3 min
20th OT C ~ "Division" ~ Fr. Jim Schmitmeyer
“I have not come to establish peace, but I have come to establish division.” Did Jesus really come to establish division? This doesn’t...
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susan mcgurgan
- Aug 3
- 7 min
19th OT C ~ "Ready for Action" ~ Rev. Dick Eslinger
The TV ads are sounding off more intently, “It’s mid-summer. Take some time to relax and (use our product / go to our vacation site /...
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susan mcgurgan
- Jul 25
- 2 min
"The Via Dolorosa via Municipal Court" ~ Fr. Jim Schmitmeyer
Jesus did not shun the work of the dock, the dust of the field or the din of the marketplace. His preaching rang with references to the...
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susan mcgurgan
- Jul 25
- 4 min
18th OT C ~ "Bigger Barns" ~ Susan McGurgan
In the northwest corner of Kansas, out on the high plains, there is the small town where my great grandparents settled as pioneers....
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susan mcgurgan
- Jul 18
- 2 min
17th Sunday OT C~"Skin Time"~ Rev. Jim Schmitmeyer
Sometimes, children struggle to communicate with adults. In a similar way, we adults struggle to communicate with God. No matter how hard...
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susan mcgurgan
- Jul 10
- 6 min
17th Sunday OT C ~ "Dragon Slayer" ~ Susan McGurgan
As so often happens with scripture, we tend to glide over the surface of this story of Martha and Mary, smoothing out the rough corners,...
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susan mcgurgan
- Jul 4
- 4 min
15th Sunday OT C ~"Your Story, God's Story" ~ Rev. Jim Schmitmeyer
“Tell me about yourself.” How would you answer that question? You might say: “I’m a student.” Or “I’m an athlete.” Or “I’m a carpenter; a...
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susan mcgurgan
- Jun 27
- 6 min
14th Sunday OT C ~ "Welcomed and Graced with Peace" ~ Rev. Richard Eslinger
Jesus had sent the Twelve Disciples out on a missionary journey, a mission that was wildly successful. Now, the Lord turns to the other...
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susan mcgurgan
- Jun 20
- 3 min
13th Sunday OT C ~ "Home" ~ Susan McGurgan
Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head. For many people, home is a place of...
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susan mcgurgan
- Jun 20
- 2 min
13th Sunday OT C ~ "I Got Your Back!" ~ Rev. Jim Schmitmeyer
I grew up on a farm. Early on, I learned that, when you’re plowing a field, the more you look back over your shoulder, the more crooked...
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susan mcgurgan
- Jun 13
- 1 min
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ " Heart to Heart" ~ Rev. Jim Schmitmeyer
“We are in a deserted place,” said the apostles to the Lord. I recognize the setting. It feels like home. A deserted place, an arid...
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susan mcgurgan
- Jun 13
- 2 min
"Homilies that Spark" ~ Rev. Jim Schmitmeyer
Can I Get an Amen?: A Survey of Homiletic Strategies that Engage the Listener This is the second in a series of five brief essays that...
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