Easter Worship Service 4/12/2020 The Gospel of John tells us, Mary came to the tomb while it was still dark. We come to this Easter while it is still dark, figuratively speaking, with hearts ready for daybreak, for renewal in resurrection, in the midst of this pandemic that has gripped the world. In many ways, […]
We are in the fifth week of Lent, and the lectionary brings us this text from the Gospel of John. This story is filled with deep anxiety, despair, grief and a sense of helplessness. We, too, are in the midst of anxious times. As we live into this time of Covid‐19, as we watch what […]
The Gospel of Mark tells us that the woman who anointed Jesus was not invited – she was not a guest. She, a woman, walks into a gathering of men. And then she takes a beautiful alabaster jar, breaks it open, and pours expensive ointment on his head in an extravagant show of devotion. I […]
We are in the third week of Lent and in the third chapter of Dr. Amy Jill Levine’s book chronicling the last week of Jesus’ life – Entering the Passion. She writes that the Gospel of Mark tells us that after Jesus overturns the tables in the Temple and calls the institution a den of […]
During Lent, we are reading through the scriptures of the Last week Jesus’ earthly life – the week we refer to as Holy Week. I am using Dr. Amy Jill Levine’s book “Entering the Passion” as well as “The Last Week” a book written by Marcus Borg & John Dominic Crossan. Last Sunday, we looked […]
This morning we start our Lenten journey by entering the unfolding of holy week, the last week of Jesus’ life. Throughout Lent, we will consider the risks that Jesus took as he intentionally turns his face to Jerusalem where he has told his followers three times that he will be crucified and will rise again; […]
Matthew 5 offers the essence of Christian moral ethic and conduct. Jesus set the bar high, perhaps even out of reach. He re-interprets the ancient laws offering behaviors to address times when we are confronted by evil; where others are making unreasonable demands. Or those would seek to inflict violence upon vulnerable people or us. […]
The lectionary takes a few Sundays to unpack the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5 – a collection of Jesus’ most often repeated teachings, the essence of what he taught. Today Jesus tells his followers “You are the Salt of the earth, You are the Light of the World”. Today we understand Salt of […]
Much of Christian culture links blessing with prosperity, health, satisfaction and material abundance. It’s tempting to equate these gifts with God’s favor, but it also comes with the misconception that those who are sick, those without material wealth, those who know misfortune: these are not so blessed. Jesus disrupts this worldview. In the Beatitudes Jesus […]
This week’s passage from the Hebrew Scriptures contains some of the best known verses in the Bible— “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” and in verse 6 we read “For a child has been born for us. Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah’s words hold rich […]