You can sense the end of the “church year” is in sight. You can tell that the celebration of “Christ the King” is right around the corner. Christ the King is coming… “A National Day of Thanksgiving” is looming and that means that “Advent” cannot be far behind. The lessons sound “a bit foreboding.” When […]
Our Gospel text for this evening ended with an “extraordinary description” of a “Christ-like-life…” In a nutshell…this is “how” we are supposed to choose to live our lives…[if] we dare to bear the name “Christian.” This may not be “how” the “rich and famous” aspire to live – but it is to be “the way” […]
First there was the “Black lives matter” movement. Then, that was quickly followed with “Blue Lives matter” movement. And then ultimately it was realized and stated that “All lives matter.” Well, I have a new movement for you…all lives “lived before ours” – matter, as well. Lives lived “simultaneously” with that of our own – […]
There was one church, well, actually two, there was the Roman Catholic Church of the West…and there was the Orthodox church of the East. The church had become divided in two. These two churches told you what to believe, how to act and what you could do and what you could not do. They defined […]
The issue was that of “freedom.” Freedom from “sin”. The issue was not being enslaved by or to sin. The issue was being “set free” from sin. John’s Jesus speaks in riddles sometimes, he is not always crystal clear…so people are left to their own devices to discern exactly what it is – he is […]
You do realize that we are supposed to “like” the sinner. We are to side with the hated and the despised tax collector. Imagine, siding with the tax collector – I thought that was something only reluctantly done…and usually begrudgingly after an extremely difficult audit has occurred! The Pharisee by pointing out someone else – […]
The Gospel text is a trap. It is a trap that I do not want you to fall into. It is a trap that many have fallen into hook, line and sinker. It is mischievous. It is a “gotcha!” We are totally being set up! Jesus tells this parable. It is a “prayer parable.” It […]
Our gospel text is unique to Luke. Jesus is speaking to the 12 disciples, though throughout this entire section, the Pharisees are still within earshot. So, they are over-hearing his every teaching. And they are probably listening pretty intently to his every word. And again, probably they have more ulterior motives. Like entrapment! This is […]
There are “specific times” when some people need God in their lives…not everyone mind you… But some… When they are going through something … “really going through something”…when they are at wits end, when they do not know where else to turn…when they are scared and frightened…or when they feel lost and abandoned…then, some people […]
I have always loved the story of the 10 lepers. I have appreciated it – since my childhood. Back-in-the-day, it was the Gospel text for Thanksgiving Day – usually every year (or so it seemed.) You always walked away, knowing “which leper” you wanted to be. (Which is kind of a crazy thought – in […]