Preaching and Speaking

There’s no way to sell yourself as a preacher or speaker without sounding like you’re selling snake oil, so I won’t try to do it. What I can tell you is that I have more than a decade of experience as an informal science educator, including training as a classroom teacher, and would be delighted to present a workshop, offer a talk, or lead a discussion on topics in Science and Religion. I specialize in Astronomy and Christianity, which was the focus of my masters thesis, but I can tailor the talk to you and your group’s needs. I’ve included some topics below, with more coming as I develop curricula.

Awe and Wonder: Connections Beyond Ourselves

A clear, dark night sky can be an awe-inducing sight, from the faint glow of the Milky Way to the bright streaks of meteors shooting across the night. But what is awe? What is wonder? And why do awesome or wonderful things stir up emotions in us? Join us as we discuss the roots of awe and wonder, how they intersect with spirituality, and the steps we can take to bring more wonder into our lives.

Starbursts and Black Holes: What the Stars Teach us About Learning

Our nearest star is 93 million miles away. We will never be able to touch it or hold it or bring it into a laboratory for study. So how on Earth do we know anything about stars at all? Take a trip through the universe with us to learn about the lives and deaths of stars and how we know what we know about space. We just might learn some humility and delight along the way, too.

Exoplanets: What Life Beyond Earth Means for Christianity

In the few short decades scientists have been looking for planets beyond our system, exoplanet studies have exploded. But what do the more than 5,000 planets circling other stars mean for us? What changes for Christians if we aren’t the only life in the universe? Every theory is on the table as we discuss the history of aliens in human imagination, the possibility of life in the universe, and whether you can baptize a Martian in this exploration of stars, planets, and the building blocks of life.

Science and Religion: A User’s Guide

We all know that Galileo was tortured for insisting that the Earth revolved around the Sun, and that Darwin converted to Christianity on his death bed, and Oppenheimer declared that he had become “Death, Destroyer of Worlds” after seeing an atom bomb being tested. Or do we? Settle in as we play Two Truths and a Lie with the history of the science and religion “conflict,” re-learn our history, and meet scientists, theologians, and other ordinary people who have learned to do the impossible: learn from science and practice faith at the same time.

Conversation Starters: Me & You and Science & Religion

Based on my and Melanie Dzugan’s blogging project, Conversation Starters is designed to do just that: teach us how to have better conversations about difficult topics. Using several thorny ideas drawn from Science and Religion studies, we’ll learn to generously talk about our disagreements, search out our core truths, and center all our conversations in humility and respect, practicing holding strong beliefs with an open hand, rather than a closed fist. Our hope is that you’ll walk away from Conversation Starters with the skills you need to listen, learn, and respond in any conversation, empowered to thoughtfully engage with others, no matter the topic.

Again, there’s no way I can sell myself as a preacher without sounding inauthentic, but I do have more than 5 years’ experience routinely preaching in small to midsize United Methodist Churches and am comfortable preaching from the lectionary or on a proposed topic. I’m happy to jump in whether you’re looking for a guest preacher as part of a sermon series or whether you just need pulpit supply.

They say every preacher has at most two sermons to preach and that rings true for me. My go-to sermon structures are, “You’ve been told [x] about this passage, but have you ever noticed [y]?” and, “Why do we do what we do?” My sermons are Bible-based, not only because I love the richness of the Bible but also because I think the Bible gives us Christians a shared starting point, no matter our hermeneutic or dogmatic beliefs. Nearly every sermon gives listeners an opportunity to hear scripture anew and to put into practice knowledge gained from the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus. My goal in my preaching is to open hearts and equip saints, so while I’m not going to ask the Spirit to bring you up for an altar call, I will send you forth into the world in the power of the Spirit, knowing that God’s sanctifying grace will go with you as you travel a world sorely in need of God’s redeeming love.

You can read some of my sermons as a guest preacher or watch one of my typical Sunday sermons by following the links below, or head over to the home page and scroll through more of my writing. Then, select “Preacher booking” as your subject in the form below, let me know the dates and topics you’re interested in, and I’ll be in touch to talk and nail down details!

Do you have an upcoming summer camp, VBS week, youth group session or retreat, or children’s ministry event that you’d like a telescope at? Interested in sparking discussions with your youth group? I can tailor any of the session topics above to any age, fit a presentation into your existing curricula, or develop a custom session based on your needs. Select “Booking Question” as your subject in the form below and let me know the type of event you’re planning and the topic you’re curious about, and we’ll go from there!