Category Archives: Church

Pentecost 20 B: Life or Death on the Oregon Trail

Posted on October 8, 2021 by John

The readings for the 20th Sunday after Pentecost are Old Testament      Amos 5:6–7, 10–15 Psalm                    Psalm 90:12–17 New Testament     Hebrews 4:12–16 Gospel                   Mark 10:17–31 If you were to travel the Oregon Trail, as thousands of desperate … Continue reading →

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Pentecost 17B: Fighting Hard in the Culture Wars

Posted on September 15, 2021 by John

The readings for this 17th Sunday after Pentecost are: Old Testament      Jeremiah 11:18–20 Psalm                    Psalm 54 New Testament     James 3:13–4:3, 4:7–8a Gospel                   Mark 9:30–37 We are at an inflection point. We are in a culture war. … Continue reading →

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Pentecost 14 B: Virtues for Pandemic Times

Posted on August 25, 2021 by John

The readings for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost are… Old Testament      Deuteronomy 4:1–2, 6–9 Psalm                    Psalm 15 New Testament     James 1:17–27 Gospel                   Mark 7:1–8, 14–15, 21–23 Our lessons this Sunday should inform the church so that … Continue reading →

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Pentecost 12B: Masks, Vaccines, and Neighbor-Love

Posted on August 13, 2021 by John

The Readings for the 12th Sunday after Pentecost are: Old Testament      Proverbs 9:1–6 Psalm                    Psalm 34:9–14 New Testament     Ephesians 5:15–20 Gospel                   John 6:51–58 Again, this week, I want to focus on the Ephesians lessons, which reads … Continue reading →

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Trinity B: The Stormy Glory of Embracing Diversity

Posted on May 25, 2021 by John

The readings for this Sunday are: Old Testament      Isaiah 6:1–8 Psalm                    Psalm 29 New Testament     Romans 8:12–17 Gospel                   John 3:1–17 We have heard about George Floyd’s death for a year now, and about the explosion of … Continue reading →

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Easter 3 B: Ambiguity and the Sense and Sensibility of Faith

Posted on April 12, 2021 by John

The Readings for the Third Sunday of Easter are: First Reading         Acts 3:12–19 Psalm                    Psalm 4 New Testament     1 John 3:1–7 Gospel                   Luke 24:36b–48 Ambiguity drives us to distraction. We want black and white answers to … Continue reading →

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Easter 2 B: Resurrection Oneness

Posted on April 7, 2021 by John

Readings for the Second Sunday of Easter are First Reading         Acts 4:32–35 Psalm                    Psalm 133 New Testament     1 John 1:1–2:2 Gospel                   John 20:19–31 Throughout all my years of ministry if I had a choice of things … Continue reading →

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Epiphany 3 B: Trust Joe Biden; but Verify!

Posted on January 19, 2021 by John

I write and publish this blog on January 19, 2021. Tomorrow, Joe Biden will be inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States. Thanks be to God! Now, it is our job to trust but verify. We are moved … Continue reading →

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Epiphany 2 B: “I and We” and the Assault on the Capitol

Posted on January 14, 2021 by John

The Second Reading for this Sunday is 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Those who stormed our nation’s Capitol on Epiphany, January 6, shouted many slogans: “This is our house!” “Stop the steal!” “Hang Mike Pence!” But they all can be boiled down … Continue reading →

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Christmas 2 B: Recipe for a Pandemic New Year’s Eve Party

Posted on December 31, 2020 by John

I write this blog post on New Year’s Eve. Battle scarred by this year past you may be tempted to party like there’s no tomorrow. You may want to rip off your mask, hug a room full of strangers, drink … Continue reading →

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