Acts 16:9-15; Revelation 21:10; 21:22-22:5; John 5:1-9 “I go down, down, down.” Reflecting on her experience of walking from the concrete deck into the deep end of the pool, my then nearly 2-year-old described wide-eyed what happened earlier that day. Her surprise still evident even hours after she briefly went “down, down, down.” She discovered that she could not, in fact, walk on water in Columbus, Georgia, at a hotel swimming pool. I’d been in the shallow end with her brother, my husband seated nearby, when our little girl, trusting and confident, marched to the edge of the water and kept right on walking. Thankfully, we watched the scene unfold and reacted quickly. I swam to her and went down, down, down after her, plucking her up to the surface as she sputtered and looked more shocked than afraid. Throughout the day and the next she would return to the incident trying to make sense of it. Going down, down, down, unable to do anything other required processing. What she’d … [Read more...]

Acts 11:1-18; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35 Easter 5C Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit. A whole new heaven and earth emerges. The holy city descends with the declaration “the home of God is among mortals.” There are some big happenings in this week’s lectionary texts. Acts and Revelation reveal a new creation occurring as the Spirit breaches barriers between peoples and the resurrection power of Easter reverberates between heaven and earth. Nothing remains untouched or unchanged in the wake of Jesus being raised from the dead, and no one’s preferences or pre-conceived notions of divine parameters will prevent the Triune God from making all things new. Peter explains step by step that which defies any human explanation. And yet, he makes the attempt and – another sign of the work of the Spirit – those who at first condemn his actions hear and accept his account. They are left speechless and then moved to praise God for this heretofore unbelievable happening. Even the … [Read more...]

Acts 9:36-43; Revelation 7:9-17; John 10:23-30 Easter 4C A multitude of nations. Every tribe. All peoples and languages. When I read about the heavenly worship of Revelation, I am transported to the international arrivals gate at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. Twice in recent months I’ve stood on the other side of the security doors, at the end of the roped-off tunnel waiting to meet someone returning from a trip across the ocean. Both times I’ve subtly wiped away tears witnessing reunions of families and friends. It felt like every tribe, nation, language and people gathered in expectation. Children and old people. Those wearing hijabs, turbans and prayer shawls. I marveled at the diversity of color and custom, clothing and culture. Some people embraced, others kissed, toddlers got scooped up and hugged, younger generations lifted baggage for their elderly relatives. I texted a friend who’d been feeling disillusioned with xenophobic headlines and hate crimes: … [Read more...]

Acts 9:1-20; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19 Easter 3C The risen Christ startles Saul. Angels, every creature in heaven and on earth serenade the slaughtered Lamb seated on the throne. The resurrected Jesus directs his disciples, eats with them on the beach and gives Peter the opportunity to profess his love, three times. Our risen Lord makes many impactful appearances this third Sunday of Easter. The power of this new creation made evident in Jesus’ resurrection blinds, silences and converts the most virulent of Christian-haters, unites every possible being in praise, and transforms deniers into witnesses willing to die in service to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Timidity must be stricken from the believers’ hearts this Sunday. Weeks into Eastertide we who profess to follow Jesus should be bold in proclaiming the unprecedented power of our God. Violent, murderous enemies will be made great apostles of the faith, imprisoned for their evangelism, tireless in their ministry to … [Read more...]

Acts 5:27-32; Revelation 1:4-8; John 20:19-31 Easter 2C Giving truthful testimony can be costly. Telling your story, publicly, under oath, entails risk, a belief in a cause bigger than self and a willingness to make oneself vulnerable to dangerous forces. Recently, I have been watching Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s PBS documentary “Reconstruction.” Words like sobering, tragic, stomach turning come to mind as descriptors for Gates’ detailing of the years following the Civil War. So much hope and progress, dashed, upended, snuffed out through acts of terror. Using photographs, newspaper articles and court transcripts, Gates documents both the hope and the terror of those years. The reading of formerly enslaved people’s court testimony, recounting the names and crimes of members of white mobs who murdered black people at will, reminds us that giving testimony requires great courage. Telling the truth forces us to ask ourselves to whom, ultimately, we will be loyal. All three … [Read more...]

Luke 24:1-12 Easter Year C The women wasted no time doing the business death requires. I know these women, don't you? In every congregation I've served, as soon as I learned of the death of a church member, I picked up the phone and called the president of the Presbyterian Women group. She in turn called up other women who would then get busy making pimento cheese sandwiches, purchasing mixed nuts and making sure the punch bowl and cups were cleaned and ready for the reception that would follow the memorial service or funeral. In some churches there were women who lined up ushers for the service, typed and copied the bulletin and played the organ. Others made casseroles and delivered them to the family's home, ensuring all those coming in town would be fed for days. The women, and some men, too, took care of the details that must be tended to by the living in the wake of death. Often the one in the casket or urn was beloved by those making sure the reception was beautiful … [Read more...]