Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 Maybe you’ve noticed in the past few weeks that we’ve been reading from the Revelation of St. John the Divine for our second lesson. In fact this brief period is the only time in our three-year cycle of readings [...]
John 13:31-35 Here’s Jesus at his last supper. Judas has left the building. It ought to be a somber time, but Jesus sounds pretty upbeat—God’s life in him is glorified even in betrayal. And then he says, “Oh, by the way, I’ve [...]
Readings online here. The Fourth Sunday in Easter celebrates Jesus as “The Good Shepherd.” In the Roman Catacombs one of the earliest paintings of Jesus depicts a beardless youth carrying a lamb on his shoulders. It’s an appealing picture in some ways. [...]
John 21:1-19 The earliest testimonies to Jesus' resurrection had difficulty describing what had happened. It defied everyday categories, and it was life-changing. For followers like Mary Magdalene, Peter and (much later) Paul, Jesus' living presence was both undeniable and indescribable. Both. The [...]
John 20:19-31 We always hear about Thomas the Twin and his doubts on the second Sunday in Easter. That, John tells us, is when it happened—the second Sunday in Easter. I don’t think anybody had come up with a Church Calendar just [...]
(Readings online here) You know, what’s really disconcerting about Luke’s Gospel lesson for today is that nobody actually saw the risen Jesus—at least not yet. Did you notice that? The women hear news that he’s risen from two messengers “in dazzling clothes.” [...]
Romans 6:3-11 This service almost preaches itself, so this homily will be brief. God be praised! Have you seen Jesus’ resurrection tonight? Have you? Yes, you have, whether you noticed it or not. That sounds awfully dogmatic, especially coming from me, a [...]
Lamentations 3:1-9, 19-24 On Holy Saturday, as we await the Easter Vigil when we can finally shout the Easter acclamation, we hear these words of lament and comfort: “The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall! My soul [...]
Readings online here. At the Passover Seder it’s customary for a child to ask, “How is this night different from all other nights?” And the answer is a peculiar one. To paraphrase, “What makes this night different is the way it connects [...]
Readings online here. In the entire rhythm of our church year there are two services that affect me most deeply. One is the Easter Vigil. This is the other one. One starts in darkness and ends flooded with light and sound. The [...]