Pentecost 2021
Aren’t these wonderful readings? Pentecost is right up there with Easter and even Christmas as a celebration of the amazing and astounding coming of God to heal God’s world. At Christmas we remember the God-child born in poverty, at Easter we celebrate that the new life which has come into the world is not subject to death and now, here at Pentecost, we celebrate the fullness of God with God’s people. The Greek text has a play on the words…
On Forgiveness
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 Ephesians 1:15-23 John 17: 6-19 Today is the 7th Sunday after Easter. It is also the 1st Sunday after the Feast of the Ascension, which was Thursday, May 13th. 40 days after Easter, Jesus ascended to God leaving his followers, for good this time, but promising to send them a helper, an advocate. They are to go to Jerusalem and wait. Today is the Sunday preceding the Feast of Pentecost, so their wait will not be…
Love Actually
John 15:9-17 Last night as I was thinking about this morning’s sermon I thought “I just seem to be preaching the same sermon over and over again.” And then I laughed because indeed this is the same sermon… we heard in our gospel reading a continuation of Jesus’ last words to his disciples, which is often thought of as a sermon. So it’s not surprising that our reflection this week bears similarity to last week. Thursday of this week is…
What Now?
Acts 8:26-40 1 John 4:7-21 John 15:1-8 “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” I imagine that many of us have prayed for something and it hasn’t happened. So what’s that about? Does that mean that we are not really abiding in Jesus? Or does it mean that Jesus…
Laying Down His Life
Acts 4:5-12 1 John 3:16-24 John 10:11-18 Psalm 23 Todays gospel is such a comforting passage about the Good Shepherd, and one we use for memorial services as we remind ourselves that God’s love never waivers even when we journey through the valley of death. In the words of John’s gospel, Jesus tells us clearly that “I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of…
Kissing the Princess
Bible Readings:Romans 8:18-23 http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=485772628Mark 16:14,15 http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=485772672 It is said that when St. Francis could not find people to listen to his preaching, he preached to the birds and they listened. The 13th century book “The Little Flowers of St Francis” says that on one occasion he saw a great flock of birds who seemed to be attentive to him so he preached to them of God’s love for them and told them they must sing to show their gratitude and to praise…
Walking In The Light
This morning’s readings are so full and rich that it’s difficult to know where to start. When that happens, I find it useful to look at the collect, the prayer for the day. “God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation, Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith.” That sums up the readings pretty well doesn’t it –…
Where is he?
Isaiah 25:6-9 Acts 10:34-43 John 20:1-18 It’s interesting how each of the four gospels tells a slightly different story of the disciples discovering the resurrection; but in every one it is the women who go early in the morning, even before dawn, to the tomb. In two of the gospels they take spices with them – spices because Jesus body had been hurriedly laid in the tomb as the sabbath was fast approaching. They planned to properly anoint his body…
Sin In Our Favor
Last week while on retreat, I read several books. One of them was Falling Upwards by Richard Rohr. In it he says among many other things that “salvation is sin turned on its head and used in our favor.” Salvation is sin turned on its head and used in our favor. That is what we are remembering today – the ultimate example of sin turned on its head and used in our favor. On the cross Jesus took the sin…
I Will Write it on Your Heart
5th Sunday of Lent, March 21, 2021. Jeremiah 31:31-34Psalm 51John 12:20-33 Photo by Macro Mama from StockSnap