Tag Archives: Bible

Pentecost 7 C: Audacious Insistence on a God of Mercy

Posted on July 21, 2022 by John

The readings for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost are: Old Testament      Hosea 1:2–10 Psalm                    Psalm 85 or Old Testament & Psalm, Option II Old Testament      Genesis 18:20–32 Psalm                    Psalm 138 New Testament     Colossians 2:6–15 (16–19) … Continue reading →

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Online Bible Study

Posted on November 13, 2020 by John

Do you long to follow the Spirit’s call to a stronger relationship to Christ Jesus? Do you hunger for the caring companionship of others who are devoted to following God’s will for love and justice? John hosts a weekly online … Continue reading →

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The Man Born Blind: Baptism’s Daily Significance in Decision

Posted on March 21, 2020 by John

We call the present COVID-19 pandemic a crisis. Crisis can be thought of as a moment that makes decision necessary. We are pressed in a corner and must choose one way out rather than another. The Gospel for the Fourth … Continue reading →

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What Binds Us?

Posted on May 16, 2018 by John

Do words bind us, or something deeper than words? The lessons of the Revised Common Lectionary for this Sunday include the account from Acts 2:1-21, of the mighty wind and the tongues of fire coming down on the Jesus believers; … Continue reading →

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Turn the Page: Reflections on Lessons for Pentecost 24 A

Posted on November 16, 2017 by John

The very first time I assisted with leading worship at my home congregation the very first thing I was assigned to do was to go to the altar and read aloud the introit from the big book lying there. I … Continue reading →

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What Lives Matter? What Truths Matter?

Posted on October 31, 2017 by John

What is it that feeds resentment in today’s political climate? National Public Radio’s David Greene in a piece that ran on NPR’s Morning Edition on October 30, 2017, asked a woman named Jessica, who lives in southern Virginia, and is also … Continue reading →

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My World for a Kleenex

Posted on October 4, 2013 by John

I walked out the door, into the parking lot and to my car. The class was over. Had I taught anything at all? Did the threat of a test open any minds to Buddha, no-self, compassion?           A push on … Continue reading →

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Love, Not Loopholes: Reflections on Mark 10:2-16

Posted on October 3, 2012 by John

W. C. Fields wasn’t the only one who to read the Bible “looking for loopholes.” The Pharisees were noted experts in God’s law codes, and yet they wanted to know Jesus’ opinion: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce … Continue reading →

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Who Told You That You Were Naked?

Posted on June 8, 2012 by John

This Sunday’s first reading is the familiar story of Adam and Eve and the “first sin” in Genesis 3. The central verse is when God asks Adam, who, with Eve, is hiding from God,  where he is. Adam explains that … Continue reading →

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Knowing and Not Knowing: The Holy Trinity

Posted on June 2, 2012 by John

Tomorrow is Holy Trinity Sunday. I believe the best thing about the doctrine of the Trinity is its nod to unknowing. The early church beat back several attempts to make the knowledge of God manageable. Gnostics wanted to  have a … Continue reading →

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