Tag Archives: Gospel

Epiphany 5 B: Wait for the Lord, Not Just for the Vaccination

Posted on February 3, 2021 by John

There’s something ancient and eternal here. We are always tempted to modernize the message of the church—to speak in the most fashionable jargon of the philosophers, psychologists, sociologists, or “with it” youth on the streets. But Isaiah, chapters 40-55, makes … Continue reading →

Posted in Border Collies, Church and Social Movements, Featured, John's Posts, Pandemic Blog, Reflections on Sunday Readings | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Epiphany 4 B “Rebuke the Disease, Not the Diseased”

Posted on January 27, 2021 by John

Years ago we fought off a family disease. Substance abuse was our plague, and we were in a group family therapy program where the leader had each set of parents draw a picture of the disease, place it on a … Continue reading →

Posted in Church and Social Movements, Featured, John's Posts, Pandemic Blog, Reflections on Sunday Readings, Social Political Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Advent 2 B: Plague Days as Messy Beginning

Posted on December 3, 2020 by John

It’s starting to look a lot like winter here on the farm. First things first: Out of bed just as dawn is breaking I fortify myself with warm clothes from head to toe, and brave the dark, cold and windy … Continue reading →

Posted in Farm Diary, Featured, John's Posts, Pandemic Blog, Reflections on Sunday Readings | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pentecost 10: Little Faith, Big Job, Big God

Posted on August 4, 2020 by John

The Gospel Reading for this, the 10th Sunday after Pentecost, is Matthew 14:2-33   Jesus comes to the boat of the disciples in spite of battering waves. He walks on the waves. Peter hopes to do the same. Jesus says, … Continue reading →

Posted in Featured, John's Posts, Pandemic Blog, Reflections on Sunday Readings, Social Political Issues | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Should We Buy a New ATV?

Posted on August 2, 2019 by John

Reflections on Luke 12:13-21, the Gospel reading for the 8th Sunday of Pentecost. Almost every day on the farm we are faced with quite consequential decisions. Today it is about our ATV. Most days we use it several times for … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Farm Diary, Featured, John's Posts, Reflections on Sunday Readings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mary Magdalene: The Easter Angel

Posted on March 27, 2018 by John

The Easter Gospel: John 20:1-18 Very often, my wife, Connie, will see me growing cranky looking for something. She says, “What are you looking for?” And no sooner than I name the elusive thing, she finds it. And often it … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Church and Social Movements, Faith, Featured, John's Posts, Reflections on Sunday Readings | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

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 →

Posted in Church, Featured, John's Posts, Reflections on Sunday Readings | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Reflections on Lessons Pentecost 23 A

Posted on November 8, 2017 by John

We had a spirited discussion today in our weekly Bible study of area pastors of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). It was fed by a feeling of dread about recent signs of sickness in our society. One of … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Church and Social Movements, Featured, John's Posts, Reflections on Sunday Readings, Social Political Issues, Worship Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Antidote for Complacency: Reflections of Sunday’s Readings

Posted on March 1, 2013 by John

The very first thing that caught my eye as I drove into Ann Arbor the spring of 1966 was that strange graffiti on a huge concrete retaining wall. Being in Greek I could not decipher it and perhaps for that very … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Faith, Featured, John's Posts, Reflections on Sunday Readings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Faith, Featured, John's Posts, Reflections on Sunday Readings, Spirituality | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment