“Like the tenants in the vineyard, both Maggie and Jared and, in all honesty, many other members of that congregation, thought that the church belonged to them. Many new people were joining and, yes, some…

“After six years of researching shame, Brown has discovered that people belong to one of two groups, those who feel worthy of love and belonging, and those who do not. Shame is the one…

“The parable I am about to tell you this morning is a compilation of seemingly disparate threads: a song by the great storyteller Harry Chapin; an experience I had with a church parishioner in…

“But, Oh Best Beloved, without psalms of lament, we are cut off from our anger or our grief. We give up the opportunity to be honest with God about our emotions. Just as…

“Like my grandfather’s dairy cows, sheep are the shepherd’s livelihood. But they are also extended family. Sheep belong to the shepherd and there is intimacy created by that kind of ownership. Many of us…