Easter Sunday – John 20:1-18; Acts 10:34-43; Face to Face with Resurrection – We experience resurrection through face to face relations. I sat here in the chancel after worship this past Thursday and Friday. I wanted to greet people with the peace of Christ as usual when we leave. But those nights ended in subdued silence.…
Sixth Sunday in Lent Matthew 21:1-11; Philippians 2:1-11 Participating in the Parade – I saw a sort of parade in our nation’s Jerusalem. On my way to a church conference about this time last year, I borrowed a car from a friend in D.C. I flew to Baltimore and arrived by train at Union Station with a little extra time. So I headed toward the Capitol, about to cross Constitution Avenue … helicopters arrived overhead and sirens blared down the hill toward the Washington Monument and the White House.
Fourth Sunday in Lent; 1 Samuel 16:1-13; John 9:1-41 – We try to see what God sees and wants for our world. In Lent we try to focus the eyes of our hearts even more. In this story, Jesus heals a man who’s physically blind. And like all of the gospels, it’s really about Jesus, how people see him. Through John’s literary development and theological revelation, notice where Jesus is or not in the story, and when the man who is healed actually sees him.
Third Sunday in Lent; Exodus 17:1-7; John 4:5-42 – Hebrews on Exodus through the desert, Jesus and the woman at the well … they seek H2O. And these stories are really about the Holy One without whom we cannot live. What truly nourishes us for a good life and a strong faith? What makes our hearts thirsty for God, for a libation of love, a gulp of grace?
First Sunday in Lent; Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7; Matthew 4:1-11 – The Bible tells stories of vulnerable people in difficult circumstances, and sometimes particularly blessed and powerful situations; decisions they face and make; ugliness they uncover or beauties they discover. Hear what the Spirit may say.
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany; Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18; Matthew 5:38-48 – How do I make a difference?” It’s what the Bible is all about in good times and bad. In the beginning, at creation, the Holy One puts humans like you and me in the Garden of Eden. To till and keep it. To nurture balanced and abundant life in all creation. The rest of the story isn’t perfect bliss. People mess up. There are consequences, and circumstances beyond our control. And God loves through it all.
Sixth Sunday after Epiphany; Genesis 2:4b-25; Matthew 5:13-16 – It probably began for us all with something like stickers and finger paints, crayons and markers. As toddlers, before we really speak, we make the crazy squiggles and circles, and tentative strokes on paper. Maybe random lines or dots. Before we conceive of anything particular we’re trying to express, our personalities start to show in how we work—with controlled detail, or unbounded exuberance.
Isaiah 58:1-12; Colossians 3:12-17, 4:2-6 – Jesus began with building relationships. He called disciples as new friends and followers. Family, he called them. His first act of ministry was forming community. Beyond ourselves alone, faith in God gets fulfilled in relation with others. Amid our different personalities and activities, we all need connections in our way.
Psalm 63:1-9; Matthew 4:18-5:12 – Habits, routines, patterns, for good or not so good, they are conscious choices we make, at least at first. We shape our days, our preferences, our priorities. Which flavor? How much time do I need? Do I answer now or not? And after a while, we know they can turn into more thoughtless behaviors which shape who we are. How much time we spend. How we feel after we eat. How we really connect or slip into greater distance. We humans are creatures of habit. What matters are patterns we choose and priorities we pursue.
Baptism of the Lord Sunday; Isaiah 42:1-9; Matthew 3:13-16 – Living faith begins with knowing God in Christ and knowing who we are. The foundation for faithfulness is identity formation. It’s the oldest and most often repeated story we tell.