Read the Scripture “In our midst” is the theme of all the resurrection stories in the Gospel of John. We see that theme in the account of Mary at the tomb when the Risen Christ appears to her and calls her by name and in the story of the disciples… Continue reading
Read the Scripture I have a confession to make. My favorite book of the Bible is the Gospel of Luke. No single part of Scripture speaks to me as does Luke’s Gospel. Now, that’s not my confession. My confession is that until several years ago, Acts was one of my… Continue reading
Wouldn’t be wonderful if we really believed in the resurrection of Jesus? Really trusted with our very being the truth of Easter? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the new creation could start right now with us through how we live, how we love, and how we spread joy and hope in this world? Continue reading
Read the Scripture One of the great mysteries in the New Testament is the identity of the beloved disciple in John’s Gospel. His first appearance in the Gospel occurs in chapter 13 at the Last Supper. In Jesus’ day, Jews reclined while eating their special meals. During the Last Supper,… Continue reading
The Gospel of John is a literary masterpiece. Even the most casual reader of the New Testament recognizes how different John’s Gospel is from the three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). The Gospel of John is a theological interpretation of the Christ event. There are many metaphors and symbols… Continue reading
I have always had sympathy for Thomas, perhaps because there is a doubting, skeptical side to me. There are those who confuse faith with gullibility. We Thomases of this world will not likely make that error. We err on the other side. We want to see, know, and feel the… Continue reading
There can be little doubt that we live in an age of fear, despair, and cynicism. Beneath the bravado of the “Make America Great” movement led by an unscrupulous demagogue, the convenient denial of the suffering and evil in much of the world, and the fleeting happiness of contemporary Epicureans… Continue reading
I have a terrible confession to make. Ever since I started in the ministry, I have found Easter Sunday to be the most difficult time to deliver a sermon. The main reason is this: I am convinced that Easter can truly happen only to those who have first gone through… Continue reading
The great 20th century theologian Paul Tillich once said that in its infancy, Christianity had only one real rival, and that was the spirit of stoicism. There were many other competing religions, but only one real rival—a rival and threat that has stayed with the church for two thousand years…. Continue reading
Theologian Paul Tillich told the following story in one of his sermons: In the Nuremburg war-crimes trials a witness appeared who had lived for some time in a grave in a Jewish grave-yard. It was the only place he and many others could live, when hiding after they had escaped… Continue reading
