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The Scars of Jesus
Jesus comes in peace, not cured, not perfect, not totally destroyed, not undead, zombied, but alive, with the scars to show the kind of death he suffered. He arrives to the disciples, who are scared, confused, alone, and he brings them peace. Thomas and the Challenge of Fear Easter 2C | John 20:19-31 There are…
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Don’t You Care That We’re Dying?
Don’t You Care That We’re Dying? (Day 15 of A Simple Lent) Friday In one sense, the idea that the disciples have that Jesus should at least be awake and aware of what’s happening is a pretty valid concern. The storm is raging and they’re scared out of their minds and here’s Jesus sleeping in the…
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Of what are we afraid?
This is what trust looks like, what faith looks like. Not only in the mustard seed, but in the calming of storms. Not only in the theoretical, but in our lives; in our triumphs and challenges; in our doubts and our assurances; in our despairs and our elations. GOD is there and way more committed…
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Ghettoed Suffering: a Reflection on World AIDS Day
I drove across town to Maple Avenue United Methodist Church. It was dark, cold; the streets were wet. I was running late, but thankfully it started late. The room was nowhere near full. But it was diverse. Wide variety in ages, including college students and some much older. There was also ethnic and gender diversity.…
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The Water and the Land
Jesus’s response to the crowd, Pharisees, and the Canaanite Woman reveals how hard it is to be perfect and how ridiculous the pursuit really is a Homily for Proper 15 A Text: Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28 on the water, on the land Jesus is walking along while some crazy woman is shouting at Him. Shouting.…
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With: Jesus, shepherds, and feeling alone
a Homily for Easter 4A Text: John 10:1-10 Alone When I left for college, I was pretty conflicted. In one sense, I was confident and believed in myself. In another, I felt unprepared and was worried that everyone was smarter than I am. I did well in school and had no reason to doubt…
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Acting like we love Jesus
a Sermon for Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle Text: Matthew 10:16-22 Sacrifice In the years after Jesus died, his closest followers passed on stories about Him. They gathered, started new faith communities, worshiped, sang. They prayed for the Kingdom. They called out to GOD. They taught their children to do the same. They told…
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Of what I was afraid
To tell you the absolute truth, I was not afraid I would die; I was afraid I would be damaged. Prepping for a colonoscopy, going into the hospital, being put under, being told of what was found: each of these caused concern for me. And if you’ve been reading along, you know my anxiety with…