Mark 3:20-35 Ordinary 10B; Proper 5 Jesus has it coming at him from all sides. And we’re only in the third chapter of Mark. Not only are the religious elites saying he is possessed by Satan, his own family thinks he is out of his mind. I wonder what the just appointed 12 think of this scene. The crowd is so boisterous, big and needy that eating in Jesus’ own home isn’t an option. Jesus’ family seeks to restrain him. The scribes say Jesus is ruled by the ruler of the demons. Jesus then calls “them” and spoke to “them” in parables. Who, exactly, is “them”? The 12? Jesus’ family? The scribes? The crowds? All of “them”? Regardless, he launches into a lecture about Satan and a house divided and tying up the strong man when breaking into a house. Oh, and then that bit about all sins being forgivable except for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (whatever that means). But wait, there’s more! Jesus then is told his family is outside asking for him, to which he replies: “Here are … [Read more...]

1 Samuel 3:1-10; 2 Corinthians 4:5-12; Mark 2:23-3:6 Ordinary 9B; Proper 4 Reading the texts appointed for this week brings to mind that oft quoted verse from Joshua 24:14-15: “Choose this day whom you will serve.” Or perhaps Deuteronomy 30:15-20: “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life.” Mark’s account of the Pharisees and the man with the withered hand is a parable of these dichotomies of life and death, an example of what it looks like to serve the Triune God or instead worship an idol. The epistle lesson from 2 Corinthians give us a metaphor for accepting life in Christ in the face of a death dealing world. This is a Sunday to ask ourselves: Whom do you choose to serve? Which side are you on: life or death? Good or evil? And, subsequently, how do your actions and attitudes reflect your choice? The Pharisees in Mark are on the lookout for ways to ensnare Jesus, to catch him breaking the religious rules, to trap and destroy him. The … [Read more...]

John 3:1-17 Trinity Sunday, Year B “Born OK the first time,” the bumper sticker read. Many who read it likely wondered what it meant. Of those who knew what it meant, many of those were likely offended. A small handful of people knew what it meant and chuckled. Born OK the first time, no need to be born again. All is well here. I admit to being in the third category of people named above. I knew what the bumper sticker meant and I chuckled. A Presbyterian growing up in the South, I’d run up against being asked, “Are you saved?” or “When were you saved?” multiple times. I’d even been asked if I had been born again. Nope. Born OK the first time. Saved a few thousand years ago with Jesus’ death and resurrection. All is well. Nothing to see here. Thanks (no thanks) for asking. I stand by my Presbyterian response to the “Are you saved?” question. I lean toward the Study Catechism’s answer to question 38: “Will all human beings be saved? No one will be lost who can be saved. … [Read more...]

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; 1 John 5:9-13; John 17:6-19 Easter 7B What happens next? The seventh Sunday of Easter is all about what happens after resurrection and after Jesus’ ascension. The whirlwind of fear, grief, more fear, confusion, joy and nascent understanding gives way to a new normal. Judas (that one destined to be lost or the one allotted his share in this ministry depending how one wants to understand the betrayer’s role) has gone on to what? Glory? Judgment? Both? Now he fully knows and is fully known and I am hoping that with God’s great mercy even Judas is surprised by grace. The 11 feel compelled to be 12 again and the lot falls on Matthias. We hear nothing more of Joseph called Barabbas known as Justus. I suspect he is like so many other disciples through the ages: He keeps doing the work, doing his best to follow Jesus, trying to make his Christianity matter in his life and in the life of the world until he, too, meets God face to face. The 12, then 11, now 12 … [Read more...]