Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, so now I send you…. Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:22-23) Easter has come and gone for the world around us. But for Christians, Easter is […]
Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you should love one another.” John 13:34 It is finally here. The three days that bring the Christian story to a head. In Latin the name for this series of events is the Triduum – […]
So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!” John 12:13 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written […]
Pilate said to the crowd, “Here is your King!” They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” John 19:14-15 We are now at the point of the Lenten story where we will be giving more and more attention to Jesus going to the cross. It is a place where Jesus, who we think […]
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” John 18:39 Jesus was clear about who he was and where he got his […]
“Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the rooster crowed.” John 18:27 We are often taught that real faith can withstand the tests of life. The stronger the faith the more it can endure. Sometimes we even feel guilty or inadequate when life makes a sudden turn and we feel inadequate and unable to adjust […]
The Call To Love Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you. As I have loved you, so you should love one another.” John 13:34 The hunger for authentic relationships in our culture is seemingly endless. Everywhere we turn, people long to speak and be heard and understood. Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of […]
It has been more and more clear that no congregation is more renewed than its people. That’s because people are the church! The more spiritually attuned and grounded the members of any congregation are, the more likely they are to not just pursue what they want but rather discern what it is that God wants […]
Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.” John 9:3 We often wonder about the problems in our lives. Some seem to be caused by things we do or don’t do. They are our fault. Other problems seem to be a […]
“Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38 Christian faith is often thought of as agreeing with certain doctrines. We say things like the Apostles’ Creed and if we believe the things in the list then we are a Christian. Understood in that way, being a Christian is about agreeing […]