This archive has essays from the original Real Live Preacher blog, which is no longer online. The dates you see are not correct. These were all written between December 2002 and sometime in the summer of 2010. When I left the ministry in 2020, and later fell even farther away from churchy things, I simply didn’t have the voice of Real Live Preacher anymore. I killed that voice when I left that world.

I am flattered to find that on occasion someone remembers something I wrote and would like to read it again. Click here to submit a request for me to bring back one of the RLP essays or stories. Over time this will become a nice archive of the original material.

Gordon

The preacher is tired tonight

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December 2002 I get up way before daylight and head for church. I open up the joint. I putter around and straighten hymnals. I make...

Just to Sit and Cry and Not be Bothered

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Things are pretty quiet in the mountain town of Creede, Colorado. You will not find fast food or fast living there. If you want...

Superball Spirituality

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Things have been unpredictable around here. Charlie died, as you know. My friend Tom called to tell me his life is falling apart, and...

The Coin and the Question

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Saul was dressed in an expensive, imported robe. He was obviously a wealthy man. His hair gleamed and was heavy with Persian oil. His...

Where is the man?

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A Real Live Preacher Dramatized Version of the story from John's gospel commonly known as "The Woman Caught in Adultery." It's been many years since...

Talk to the hand

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People like the idea of getting to the bottom of things. It suits our human desire for stability. We don’t like floundering in high...

Why don’t you write something about prayer & Something about prayer

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Background: When RealLivePreacher.com (the book) was published, I created nine essays that were unique to the book. They were never online. My editor said,...

How to find a church

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I keep getting emails from people who say, “Your church sounds nice. I wish I could find one like that.” Let me guess. You’re looking...

There’s something about the way you use the Bible

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There’s something about the way you use the bible, something about the way you use it as a tool, as a weapon, as a...

Even the rich woman

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A Dramatized Version of a Bible Story No one hated rich people more than Judas. Seriously, he hated them. Judas said the problems our people...

Forget the Angles

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I have a preacher friend who lives in an old farmhouse that he is restoring himself. He’s one of those “do everything” guys. Gardening,...

James, John, & Crazy Joe

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It happened in one of those quiet moments when nothing much was going on. Peter whistled while he mended a net. Bartholomew picked at...

The richest man in town

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Delivered as a sermon at Sage Chapel, Cornell University, April 9th, 2006 Jesus of Nazareth was in town, and the word spread quickly. Whispers moved...

Crocodile Hunter

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When I first came to know Jonah and Robert, I was very eager to please. They were my first real wheelchair friends. When I...

The Smallest Person in All the World

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This story originally appeared at RealLivePreacher.com in two parts. Part One: The Rabbi, the Woman, and the Cities The Rabbi (Twenty Years Before) Jesus, son of Joseph, what...
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