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Abuse of the Cross
a Sermon for Good Friday Text: John 18:1-19:42 Reading the Passion narrative from the gospel we know as John provides the postmodern hearer with two challenges (besides the obvious, of course): dealing with John’s use of the phrase “The Jews” and the need to repent for the cross. The writers of John use the phrase…
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Common Humanity
a homily for Good Friday Text: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” [This was my reflection for Word 4 in our eccumenical Good Friday service using the last 7 words format.] Perhaps no line in scripture is more troubling than this. It is the single audible cry in Mark (and Matthew): “My…
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Jesus’s Last Teaching
a Sermon for Maundy Thursday Text: John 13:1-17, 31b-35 There are many interesting parts of the story we tell of Maundy Thursday, but much of it we actually save for tomorrow, Good Friday. Our tradition focuses on two important acts: The Passover Meal The Footwashing The Passover. We heard in our Hebrew reading from Exodus…
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Come to the Light
Is John 3 about salvation, or something more? And is it a sufficient description of Christian faith?
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Must We Preach John 3:16?
Those that know me generally understand that I don’t like to write sermons on Saturday. Today is Saturday and I’m writing a sermon for tomorrow. And tomorrow’s text includes the ubiquitous John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish…
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Destination Unknown
Text: Mark 1:29-39 Distractions This gospel is like life: it has a lot of distractions. There are lots of details we could run down; tangents we could explore: These new disciples, their mom and her mysterious ailment, the demon possession. This gospel, on the other hand, is actually about the gospel. It is about moving, finding,…
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A Humble Beginning
My Christmas Message Christmas isn’t just some story about family. It isn’t about shopping or gift-giving. It isn’t about all the hoopla. And even “putting Christ back into Christmas” is to make Christmas something it isn’t. It is way more than that. Have a very Merry Christmas!
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Don’t Be Afraid. I Really Do Mean It!
Text: Luke 1:26-38 In this morning’s gospel, we have what should seem absolutely crazy. It doesn’t for two reasons: 1) its very familiar and 2) the virgin birth has been an ideological litmus test for fundamentalists as something to intellectually believe with deep-rooted conviction. Rather than treating this like we do the rest of the…