Luke 9:51-62 “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Given this coming Sunday’s Gospel, it strikes me that there is profound irony in the fact that for the first time in four years I am a day late in getting my post up because …
Nothing Left to Lose: The Woman with the Alabaster Jar and a High School Graduate
Luke 7:36-8:3 We hosted our community’s high school baccalaureate at our church this year. In recent years it has been held in the high school auditorium, but for reasons I have not heard they needed another venue this June. So when they called, we were glad to say ‘yes.’ And so it was on Wednesday …
And Jesus Gave Him to His Mother…
Luke 7:11-17 Too, too many times I have yearned for this to be so. More times than I can even remember now I have stood and sat and wept with parents who are grieving the death of children. In some cases we became acquainted after the funeral home had been called. In others, I had …
On Thelma on Concourse B and Glimpsing Faith in Unexpected Places
Luke 7;1-10 I flew to Atlanta last Sunday for the Festival of Homiletics. It was powerful, as always, and I am glad I went. One of the most amazing stories I have heard in a long time, though, was one I encountered before I even got on the plane. I thought my time would be …
Suffering. Together.
Romans 5:1-5 In a spirit of full disclosure, I have to I say really don’t know that much of suffering first hand. I do know enough, and I have witnessed enough of it in others, however, to know I would rather not. And yet, there was a night last November when as I attempted to …
Praying for Another Pentecost
Acts 2:1-21 This year more than ever I find myself praying for another Pentecost where differences are bridged and where we are able to hear and understand one another. Oh, there are a thousand reasons why I yearn for this in this season. Here is one: I am so very careful not to post anything …
On Macedonia and Being Open to God’s Vision
Acts 16:9-15 So why do you suppose Paul was so open to receiving and responding to the vision which had him traveling to Macedonia? What convinced him that this was God’s call? This is how I have come think about this in the last few days: I had lunch with our local chief of police …
If We Have Love For One Another
John 13:31-35 This last Sunday night we spent some time thinking about forgiveness with our confirmation youth. Specifically, we were focusing in on the petition of the Lord’s Prayer where we pray, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” To bring the learning home, one of the exercises we shared …
Tell Us Plainly
John 10:22-30 If I’m honest, on some days I can certainly resonate with those who demanded that Jesus ‘tell them plainly’ who he was. In fact, sometimes I have a hard time fully understanding the people around me, much less those who walked among us thousands of years ago. In fact, this challenge of understanding …
Back to Where They Began?
John 21:1-19 At least the disciples have managed to get themselves out from behind locked doors. For as you may recall, when last we met up with them in John’s Gospel, that is exactly where they were when they last encountered Jesus. Paralyzing fear can do that to us, of course, and perhaps it is …