April 18 2014 Good Friday A Hebrews 10:16-25 Philippians 3:13-14

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more…” (Hebrews 10:17)

I was watching a golf tournament on TV a few weeks ago.  And as one golfer walked off the green on his way to the next hole, after having [...]

April 13 2014 Palm Passion Sunday A Philippians 2:5-11

This week churches all over the world will gather for Palm – Passion Sunday.  Many churches will begin worship with a procession of Palms, remembering Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem; and many will continue worship with the reading of the passion narrative, the story [...]

April 6, 2014 Lent 5A John 11:1-45

Mary and Martha echo the words that belong to all of humanity, words that one time or another have belonged to each of us, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

It’s part of our human nature; we want God [...]

March 30 2014 Lent 4A John 9:1-41

“Open Our Eyes, Lord,” was a popular contemporary hymn in the late 70’s and 80’s.  It was a simple prayer song written by Robert Cull.

Open our eyes, Lord We want to see Jesus To reach out and touch him And say that we love [...]

March 23 2014 Lent 3A John 4:5-42  

When I think back to life in the second grade, one thing comes to mind, dodge ball!  We loved to play that game.  I remember sitting in class and watching the clock slowly tick until the appointed time for recess, and as soon as the bell [...]

March 16, 2014 Lent 2A John 3:1-17; Genesis 12:1-4a

“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.  I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so [...]

March 9, 2014 Lent 1A Matthew 4:1-11

“And the Spirit immediately drove (Jesus) out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan.” This week the season of Lent begins, it is a season that lasts forty days.

Forty is a significant number in the biblical tradition.  If [...]

March 2, 2104 Transfiguration A Matthew 17:1-9

“YOLO,” you only live once!  That’s what first came to my mind when I read this week’s appointed Gospel for Transfiguration Sunday.  Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up with him on a high mountain, and then, suddenly, Moses and Elijah appear, and Jesus’ face lights [...]

February 23 2104 Epiphany 7A Matthew 5:38-48

Be perfect?  What?  In this week’s Gospel Jesus commands us to do the impossible and concludes, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)  He tells us to resist, “an eye for an eye,” and instead asks us “to turn the other cheek.”  [...]

 February 16, 2014 Epiphany 6A Matthew 5:21-37; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 

“For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations?  (1 Corinthians 3:3)

The appointed texts for this Sunday describe faith communities in conflict.  In the epistle Paul chastises [...]