Drew Downs

Make a New Normal

John 20

  • The lectionary goes straight from Easter 1 to 2. But the story of Jesus’s appearance in the locked room is missing something.

  • When we look at the same picture, do our brains assess the contents of the picture differently? The short answer is yes. But how interesting is the short answer? Especially when the science had essentially been saying no. Easter 2A  | John 20:19-31 Dr. Richard Nisbett, a psychologist from the University of Michigan has for…

  • For some, the idea of an Easter morning footrace is the farthest thing from your mind. Lace up the running shoes and hit the pavement. And some no doubt felt themselves racing to arrive here or some other church this morning. Particularly if the kids are a bit slow-footed. But this morning’s story isn’t about…

  • 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…

  • This is a big story. A story dealing with life and death and even the very idea of life itself. A story of escape and narrow victory. A story of perseverance and redemption. And in the end, we find new hope and new life. A story of a man who wasn’t just a man dying…

  • The resurrection and how Jesus wants to be known Easter  |  John 20:1-18   Earlier this week We have come to the end of a long, truly holy week. So much has happened in the story since we gathered last week (was it really only a week ago?) and many of us could benefit from…