John 20:24-31 “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29). That’s us: we have not seen Jesus Christ in the flesh, and yet we believe. If this is true for you today, then you are blessed! And yet how often are we like St. Thomas after all. How often we have witnessed the testimony of Jesus Christ in our lives and yet seem unable to see Him. How often do we believe, and yet we... Read more
John 20:19-23 I might as well admit it right now: I’m secretly a 32nd degree Chicken. If you’ve seen the back of my car, you might have noticed the telltale logo: a bird awkwardly running away from perceived danger. Some men are born fearless: either that, or just plain stupid. It seems as if nothing intimidates them and there isn’t any challenge they aren’t willing to take on. Not me. I’m not exactly a Barney Fife character, and to some... Read more
John 20:11-18 What is it with these Marys and their devotion to Jesus? There is Mary, His mother, of course, who treasured the things concerning Him in her heart. There is Mary of Bethany who takes a jar of expensive perfume to anoint His feet with her hair and who sits at His feet when Martha is worried about serving. And now there is Mary of Magdalene. Having experienced the same things as the disciples did, we find two very... Read more
John 20:1-10 What a joyful occasion is Easter: the high point of the Church year – the high point of our lives! And yet because we are mere humans, weak and sinful, there is a temptation to let Easter pass by one more year without it changing us in any way. I therefore challenge you this morning – that today, this Easter, this celebration of the Resurrection of your Lord, Jesus Christ, that you do... Read more
Romans 6:3-11 Our individual identity is something very precious to each of us. Unfortunately, in our culture we find that often people don’t know who they are. So they try counseling and alternative lifestyles. They change hair and clothing styles. Tattoos and body piercings are also attempts to create an identity. Jackie’s favorite channel on TV (which she rarely watches) is the TLC channel. In a way, Trading Spaces, her favorite show, is about identity. Makeover shows are reminders that... Read more
1 Peter 2:11-25 One year when I was teaching freshman English at All Saints Episcopal school in Tyler, Texas, and we began the year by coordinating some of the literature with ancient history, I taught my students about Greek philosophy and religion so that they might understand Greek literature. I had them compare and contrast Christianity and the Greek religion, and in my meditation on this comparison, a humorous idea took hold of me (many do, when I’m teaching and... Read more
John 17 The Church is the presence of Jesus Christ on the face of the earth. Once again, this is Jesus’ astounding message and prayer for His disciples this morning. Do you marvel to behold the Son of God born of the Virgin Mary at Christmas time? Do you rejoice to see that day come every year? Then you should also marvel and rejoice with exceedingly great joy that God has chosen to send His Son in the world today... Read more
John 16:16-33 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” These are the words Jesus speaks this morning, and they are some of the last words Jesus ever spoke before He was crucified. And I believe this with all my heart, soul, and mind – this promise that whatever we ask the Father in the name of Jesus Christ, God will give us I certainly believed... Read more
John 15:17-27 “These things I command you, that you love one another” (verse 17). “And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning” (verse 27). Though Jesus says so many things to His disciples between these verses, as I was praying over this passage, these two verses converged to form a teaching on love, obedience, and union with God. It’s always wise to consider the context of every passage, and so when Jesus says... Read more
John 14:15-31 As Jesus prepared to leave this world and ascend into heaven, He made sure that His ministry would continue from heaven. To that end, the Spirit was sent by the Father through the Son to earth, so that the disciples of Jesus Christ may be blessed. Entire theological treatises could and have been written on the importance of this point, but there’s one point we should all grasp this morning, and it is this: the Holy Spirit is... Read more
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