Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 It seems to me there is a whole lot that falls short in the metaphor Jesus offers now. Indeed, one cannot miss the harsh judgment with which Jesus punctuates this section of his preaching. And yet, this stark way of thinking is familiar to us, of course. We hear it, we live …
A Cup of Cold Water
Matthew 10:40-42 It is a family memory that always makes me smile, although it came to be ours in the midst of an excruciatingly difficult time. My dad was in intensive care. His condition was precarious and we were understandably worried about him. Two of my sisters, my then one-year-old nephew, our mother, and I were …
A Disciple is Not Above the Teacher… Revisited
I am on vacation for the next couple of weeks. While I am away I intend to take a mini Sabbath from writing. And so I offer below a reflection I offered three years ago on this week’s Gospel. The stories I offer below are precious to me as are the names of the people …
“A Flock of Meandering Geese: Like Sheep Without a Shepherd”
Matthew 9:35-10:8 “When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.””(Matthew 28:36-38) “The bush was …
“But Some Doubted…”
Matthew 28:16-20 “But some doubted…” These are some of my favorite words in this last breath of Matthew’s Gospel. I love that they are here in all their unexpected surprise, for if some who were there and who actually witnessed the resurrection and who gathered on that mountain to hear Jesus’ final instructions to them …
The Holy Spirit: The Breath of God!
Acts 2:1-21 John 20:19-23 “The bush was always burning. It just took someone moving slow enough to notice it.” —Rob Bell, May 15, 2017, The Festival of Homiletics “When did the Spirit of Life last touch you? You know when it was… If it happened before, it can happen again…” — Barbara Brown Taylor, May …
That They May be One… That WE May Be One…
John 17:1-11` “That they may be one…. that WE may be one…” I stood with friends on the street above listening to the heartfelt strains of Amazing Grace rising up to us from the River Walk below. Perhaps a hundred or more had made their way — crowding into the patio of the Bier Garten …
“I Will Not Leave You Orphaned…”
John 14:15-21 It is so that I cannot hear Jesus’ promise today without pausing in an experience that surely shaped my own family story. It is a story of being ‘orphaned.’ My dad was all of five years old when his own father died. His death was unexpected and, no doubt this, combined with it …
“I Am The Way…”
John 14:1-14 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” John 14:6 A text came through on my day off saying that one of ours was in the hospital. It sounded serious and so I paused in the midst of my errands to check in. I was dressed for …
Thieves and Bandits … and the Shepherd
Psalm 23 John 10:1-10 I shook my head to see the ad — I expect you did, too. Apparently a major department store is now selling jeans encased in fake ‘mud’ — at a price of $425. I shook my head to imagine that anyone, anywhere, would pay such a price to appear to be …