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Tag Archives: Jesus
Year B Lent 4: snakes alive
There comes a time, Jesus tells Nicodemus, to look up, and to trust God, even though you know there are snakes snapping at your ankles, even though you know there is more work to do, more wilderness to slog through, more sin to solve, more than you can shake a stick at; there comes a time to look up and to trust God, even though what you see looking back is the serpent that bit you; even though what you see is the Son of Man crucified, dying on a cross. For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Continue reading
Posted in sermon
Tagged Ephesians 2:1-10, For God so loved the world, Jesus, John 3:14-21, Moses, Nicodemus, Numbers 21:4-9, snakes
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Year B Lent 3: Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep the feast
There’s something unusual about the way that John’s gospel tells the story of the cleansing of the temple. Each of the four gospels tells some version of this event, and they are, for biblical accounts, surprisingly close in detail to … Continue reading
Posted in sermon
Tagged cleansing the temple, death, Eucharist, ferguson, Jerusalem, Jesus, John, Passover, Selma, Spong, Year B Lent 3
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Year B Lent 2: putting a spin on the gospel
One of the good things to come out of the trials and tribulations of Brian Williams and Bill O’Reilly, in hot water over the accuracy of their memories of reporting from dangerous places, accused of polishing their credentials, of burnishing … Continue reading
Posted in sermon
Tagged Abraham, Bill O'Reilly, Brian Williams, cross, denial, despair, faith, God won't give you more than you can handle, gospel, Jesus, lies, memory, Paul, Peter, spin
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Simon Peter Says
Think positive Put on a brave face Put your best foot forward Do not waver Do not speak of death and it will not happen Do not look upon the cross and it will not crush you Look on the … Continue reading
Posted in lectionary reflection, poetry, sermon preparation
Tagged Jesus, mark 8:31-38, Peter, way of the cross, Year B Lent 2
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Christmas Eve: love you to Bethlehem and back
There is a tradition that the night between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is a time for miracles. Beatrix Potter, who wrote the Peter Rabbit books, said that, it is in the old story that all the beasts can talk, … Continue reading
Parabolic
It is often said, but bears repeating, that we have a tendency to tame Jesus’ parables. Familiarity breeds, if not contempt, at least complacency. When we stop hearing them as stories, and instead hear only the interpretation and allegorization and reenactment … Continue reading
Posted in sermon preparation
Tagged absurdity, Jesus, Matthew 25:1-13, parable of the bridesmaids, parables, Year A Proper 27
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Year A Proper 22: parables and other stories
There is a kind of through the looking glass feel to this parable. If you think of the classic fairy tale structure, where a king sends three messengers on a quest to redeem his belongings, in this case the wine … Continue reading
Posted in sermon
Tagged baptism, Ebola, fairy tale, God's mercy endures forever, Isaiah 5:1-7, Jesus, Matthew 21:33-46, oppression, parable, Psalm 80, vineyard, Year A Proper 22
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Year A Proper 21: By whose authority?
Rarely does Jesus give a straight answer to a straight question; but rarely, too, is he quite as direct about his indirection as he is here. Leading to the following reflection: Can you imagine being Jesus’ mother? I don’t mean … Continue reading
Posted in lectionary reflection, sermon preparation
Tagged authority, childhood, Jesus, Mary, Matthew 21:23-32, Messiah, Year A Proper 21
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Year A Proper 20: Jonah and anti-Jonah
Poor, petulant Jonah. If he couldn’t give the Ninevites hell, he wanted to at least give them purgatory. I’ve done all of this work, he said, endured all of this drama: the running away the wailing and gnashing of teeth, … Continue reading
Posted in sermon
Tagged fair pay, God, Jesus, Jonah, justice, living wage, love, mercy, minimum wage, Nineveh, parable
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