John 9:1-23 “I AM!” Jesus, being God, says. I AM. I exist. I am the origin and source of all being. I am the Creator and Sustainer of all reality. I am before and after time and in time and outside of time. I am the definition of love and beauty and truth and good. I AM. When I AM speaks, things happen. When I AM first spoke, He spoke the world into existence, out of nothing. I AM said... Read more
Historical Definitions of Anglicanism So far, I’ve looked at a variety of definitions of Anglicanism: a 2-word definition, a one-sentence definition, normative, structural, and stylistic definitions of Anglicanism. A final kind of definition of Anglicanism commonly offered is a historical one, based on the development of the Anglican tradition over time. Historically defined, Anglicanism has both Catholic and Protestant characteristics that are both present in Anglicanism today. The English church has roots in the catholic faith that was planted in... Read more
John 8:12-44 “Who are you?” This is the question the Jews asked Jesus. To us, the answer may seem obvious. It reminds me of an episode of Get Smart in which a man who was supposed to be dead re-appears. “Montabello!” Max Smart’s sidekick, 99, exclaims out of surprise. “Montabello!” another character gasps. “Who are you?” dim-witted Max asks. The Jews in John 8 are not so much dim-witted as dark-hearted. Who is Jesus? He Himself has told us, and... Read more
John 8:1-11 “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” What would it have been like to have heard these words from the lips of Jesus Christ? Imagine that you are filled with guilt, true guilt. You have been engaged in one of the most sinful behaviors known to mankind: adultery, the behavior in which you break your vows before God and man and act in such a way as to sever all of the most relationships in... Read more
Luke 15:11-32 “But what about me?” says the other son. And with him I, too, say “Yeah, what about me?” More about the other son in a minute. But first, what about the prodigal son? You realize, of course, that the little titles in your Bible are not inspired and are technically not part of the Bible. While we’re at it, the chapters weren’t introduced into Bibles until the 13th Century and verses not until the Geneva (or “Breeches”) Bible... Read more
Galatians 6:11-18 “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 14). I’d like to talk about boasting this morning. Sorry, guys, but I’m going to start with us. We just seem to boast a lot more noisily, obviously, and in your face than women do. What’s the first impulse of a guy who’s just scored a touchdown? There’s a reason the NFL has had to enact fines and penalties for celebrating in... Read more
Galatians 6:1-10 “Bear one another’s burdens” (verse 2). “Each one shall bear his own load (verse 5). See! I told you the Bible was full of contradictions! To quote Bugs Bunny: What a maroon Paul must have been to contradict himself so obviously in just a few verses! I’m chuckling to myself as I pretend to be a critic of the Bible. What a maroon, to think that Paul wouldn’t have seen his own contradiction, if it were one, and... Read more
Galatians 5:13-26 In 1938 Orson Welles delivered what may have been the most electrifying radio address ever given. He and his Mercury Theater group staged a radio version of H.G. Wells’ “War of the Worlds” that scared people out of their wits. During this program, he portrayed how the earth had just been invaded by the Martians, who, even as he was speaking, were in the process of conquering the United States. Despite his warnings that this was only a... Read more
Galatians 5:1-12 What is the relationship between law and grace? How can we be not under the Law and yet still be subject to God so that we obey His commandments (even if this were only the explicit ones in the New Testament)? There is a complex history of Christian thought on the matter, but it seems pretty clear that two extremes wind up in sin, if not heresy. On the one hand, we have the problem of legalism, which... Read more
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Saturday of Quinquagesima – John 8:45-59
John 8:45-59 Jesus Christ is the most amazing mystery in the world! As we were reminded of yesterday, Jesus Christ is I AM, God Almighty Himself. Just in case you missed it, He says it most clearly in 8:58. The Jews still don’t understand Who HE IS, and so one last time (in this particular encounter) He says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” This time, our English translations get it right. Jesus Christ is... Read more