Tag Archives: Jesus

It is not enough

It is not enough for him to die. It is not enough for him to offer up his pain, to offer us his wincing scars: touch my hand; my open, scored side; trace the welts and weals of the thorns … Continue reading

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Good Friday: his own people

At the beginning of the Gospel according to John, we read that, He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and … Continue reading

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Maundy Thursday: the mother of all mercy

What should Jesus have done about Judas? In a way, Thursday was the final chance. There is a pipeline from here to the tomb. Once Judas has left the table, Jesus knows that his fate is sealed. Yet earlier in … Continue reading

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Palms and passion

A sermon for Palm Sunday, 2017 Dietrich Bonhoeffer was an acclaimed theologian of the twentieth century. He became iconic after his martyrdom at the hands of Hitler’s Nazi government, shortly before the end of the second World War. According to … Continue reading

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Why Jesus wept

Lazarus, lying in the tomb, locked in death, was not deaf to the call of Jesus upon his body, and his spirit, and his enduring life. Continue reading

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Marked men

Later, they sit silent as the grave side by side,
watching a late sun set over the Jordan… Continue reading

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Telling stories

When Jesus’ disciples see a blind man begging at the side of the road, they are tempted to turn his life story into a theological conundrum for Jesus to answer: “Who sinned, this man or his parents?” Continue reading

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Forgiving Jesus

The readings for the third Sunday in Lent include Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman at a well, and Moses’ miraculous striking water from stone. In the old stories, this encounter beside a well would have ended in marriage. Jacob’s … Continue reading

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Epiphany

A sermon for the Church of the Epiphany, Euclid, Ohio, January 2017 Outside of the main city, down through the wilderness, is the lost city of Petra. The intricately carved rock edifices bound deep valleys and lead for miles. Once … Continue reading

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The Holy Name

The Feast of the Holy Name, January 1, 2017 In the very name of Jesus is our prayer. The name, which was not chosen by his parents but given to them as a sign when his birth was announced by … Continue reading

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