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 …
Tag: John
“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 …
These Dry Bones and Lazarus and Tooth #30
Ezekiel 37:1-14 John 11:1-45 I do hope my reflection here does not trivialize the power of the images before us now as we find ourselves in a valley of dry bones suddenly re-assembled and infused with breath once more and in the crowd looking on as Jesus’ beloved friend, Lazarus — dead these four days …
Jesus and the Samaritans
John 4:5-42 There is so very much richness for us in the familiar story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. In fact, there is just plain so much happening in this lengthy account that it is easy to get distracted before one comes to the larger point or final conclusion of …
Wondering About Nicodemus…
John 3:1-17 It is so that I have been called upon to preach on this piece of John’s Gospel many times before and so it is with some effort this time through to come up with a new way ‘in’ to a very familiar story. And so I am allowing myself to begin by simply …
Staying with Jesus…
John 1:29-41 “The disciples came and saw and stayed…” (John 1:39) So what is it to ‘stay’ with Jesus? What must that have been for Andrew and the other disciple? Was it a place of peace? Or challenge? Or both? Was it what it might have been to finally come home or was it like …
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 …
A King Like No Other
John 18:33-37 I has been ringing through my mind these last days — the cry of the people in 1 Samuel. You remember it. They are in the land which was promised to them. They have been watched over and led by a series of Judges — some of whom did better than others. And …
Truth and Freedom
John 8:31-36 And so what is this truth that makes us free? I was called upon to preach at our local Hospice Annual Memorial Service a few weeks ago. Those in attendance were primarily family members and friends of dear ones who had died in the past year. I knew their memories would be fresh …