The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Chapman
Pastor | Creative | Bad Ass
Writings
I began writing as a hobby in 2012 to chronicle my move from Georgia to Connecticut, my work with Westfield Church, and my ideas, sermons, and notions. In the time since, a little of everything has been posted here, and I think that’s the way it’ll stay.
The Latest
The Night I was Called a Fag in My Own Church
Here is this morning's sermon after being verbally accosted in Westfield's 1923 Ladies' Parlor by a member of another church. The scripture was John 3:1-17. Do you believe people can change? Perennial parental advice says no. Can’t you hear your mama saying, “Oh...
Sermons
Choosing Life
Scripture: Deuteronomy 30: 15 - 20 Moses knew he was about to die. By this point, he had been leading the Israelites through the wilderness for nearly forty years. They’ve finally made it to the Jordan River and are about to enter the promised land. And all of this...
Distractions, distractions.
A little behind on posting this one! Here's the scripture: Luke 10: 38 - 42. At first glance, this fairly familiar story seems pretty self explanatory. Jesus comes to visit two of his dear friends. After being welcomed into their home, one sister, Mary, sits at...
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Scripture: Luke 10: 25-37 (with thanks to Clarence Jordan) This is a heavy story. Well, the story itself isn’t that heavy. I mean, the man lying in the ditch regains his health thanks to the generosity of a Samaritan man--a fellow we call “the Good Samaritan.” This is...
Letters to Killingly
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Visual Worship
A Simple Palm Sunday
Well friends, Holy Week is almost upon us, and my dear Westfield shows no signs of slowing down (which, really, is super!). This week in particular has been a whirlwind. It started last Sunday with a FULL day of church and visits. I left the house for church that...
Lent 5C: Anointing
Y'all. Lent is catching up with me. So much to do before Easter which, my friends, is only two weeks away. Two weeks. So this week, as I was scrolling through the photos I took during my Lenten altarscape planning session a while ago, I was glad to be reminded that...
Where is Your Picture Hanging? An Altar for Lent 4C
There are lots of challenges to being a solo pastor. My last position was at a church that had 9 or so on staff. Each of us had different responsibilities and were able to do delve deeply into our particular area. What I've learned in my first 5 months at Westfield...
Stoles
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Mama’s Boy
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