Leaves of Grace
Rev. MaryAnn M. Dana

MaryAnn McKibben Dana
August 23, 2009
Genesis 2.7-9, 15-17, 3.1-13, 22-24
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We all know what this story is about, right?
 
The Fall… Our pew Bibles call it “the first sin and its punishment”… Original sin… that state of being that we all take part in by simply being […]

Continue reading “You Will Be Like God” »

MaryAnn McKibben Dana
July 26, 2009
Genesis 15:1-6
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
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Paul Jones remembers the day that he found faith—or perhaps I should say, the day faith found him.
By the time I heard the story, at a conference in Colorado, Paul Jones was a seminary trained theologian and ordained monk in the Trappist order. Over the course of his […]

Continue reading “By Faith” »

MaryAnn McKibben Dana
July 12, 2009
Mark 4:35-41
Job 38:1-11
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Many of you asked me this spring whether there would be a sermon series this summer like the Harry Potter one and the Children’s Lit one. And as you can see, I decided not to do one. I gave it a lot of thought, and nothing really felt authentic […]

Continue reading “Out of the Whirlwind” »

MaryAnn McKibben Dana
June 21, 2009
John 9
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If you could ask God any question, what would it be?
Of all the mysteries in all the world, what would you bring to God to be opened up and explained?
My guess is that a fair number of you would ask some question about how a loving and just God can […]

Continue reading “And Now I See” »

Preached by MaryAnn McKibben Dana
March 15, 2009
Acts 2:14, 22-39 (selected verses)
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When I talk to colleagues and friends about what kind of church Burke Presbyterian Church is, I always say that BPC is a church that says, “Yes.” Ours is a very permission-giving congregation. This is by no means a given among churches. A church that […]

Continue reading “Unbinding Your Heart: The Converted Community” »

MaryAnn McKibben Dana
February 1, 2009
II Kings 5:1-14
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Most of us have been invited to a gathering in which we were asked to bring something.  I’ve been asked to bring appetizers, beverages, a gift for the birthday girl, you name it. I’ve even been asked to bring a chair, when there would not be enough to go […]

Continue reading “From BYOB to CAYA” »

MaryAnn McKibben Dana
December 21, 2008
Luke 1:5-23, 1:26-38
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During our preaching class in seminary, we spent some time on reading scripture. The professors made the rather obvious point that we make interpretive choices, and those choices should inform how we deliver the reading of the text. For example, if Jesus is angry, you shouldn’t read the text […]

Continue reading “Perplexed and Ponderous” »

MaryAnn McKibben Dana
November 16, 2008
Matthew 25:14-30
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Right off the bat I see two land mines with this text. The first is that stewardship season is over, but this text has been used so many times in that context, you all might think I’m trying to sneak in another stewardship sermon under the wire!
The other problem: as […]

Continue reading “Settling the Account” »

MaryAnn McKibben Dana
October 19, 2008
Acts 17:1-9; I Thessalonians 1:1-10
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“So, how are you planning to do stewardship this year?”
This was the question that came over e-mail this week, from a pastor friend to a group of clergy that I belong to and meet with every year for lectionary study.
We chewed the fat for a while, talking […]

Continue reading “The Growing Power of a Grateful Heart” »

MaryAnn McKibben Dana
September 7, 2008
Exodus 12:1-14
Part One of “Faith for Tough Times: A Sermon Series”
Today’s scripture is God’s instructions to Aaron and Moses, to get the people of Israel prepared for God’s Passover, the tenth plague on Egypt, the final tipping point that will mean their freedom. What we don’t see in the text, what […]

Continue reading “When You Are Living in a Strange Place” »