discipleship
-
Bear fruit worthy of repentance
•
7 min read
When we talk about repentance, do we also rejoice? Why do we so struggle with being changed by God, turned and shaped, being loved? The focus is not on what needs to change, but to let yourself be changed Advent 3C | Luke 3:7-18 John is not holding back! Whew! I don’t want to be…
-
Jesus Keeps Walking
•
9 min read
After Jesus makes his third passion prediction, his followers still don’t understand what it means to follow Jesus. And most of us don’t either. For Jesus, it isn’t just confronting power — it’s rejecting glory. Proper 24B | Mark 10:35-45 A few weeks ago, when we hosted our neighbors for our annual big blow-out communion…
-
What God Intends
•
9 min read
In Mark 7, Jesus responds to a challenge over rule-breaking by exposing their hypocrisy. Is this just a takedown, or is he saying something else? The challenge of following Jesus isn’t doing or believing. It’s both. Proper 17B | Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 We have to go back nearly two months. Back in June, we…
-
Jesus is not Superman
•
8 min read
The lectionary cuts up the story in Mark 6:30-34, 53-56, resting on the image of Jesus as a super shepherd. But Jesus isn’t offering comfort only. Mark’s gospel and its conviction to follow, not worship. Proper 11B | Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 We gathered in an antiphonal circle in the chapel to read the first part…
-
Praying in the Dark
•
8 min read
In Nicodemus, we find a stand-in for us. He’s confused, frightened, and showing up at the wrong time. And yet he’s responding to an invitation when he least expects it to do something amazing. How our searching in the dark helps bring the light to us. Lent 4B | John 3:14-21 You’ve probably heard the…