Jesus said to the disciples, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” (John 13:34) I want to ask a question here. What makes this commandment new? Important Passages from the Hebrew Bible Leviticus gives this command, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.” (19:18) Community... Read more
Holy Week is the time we remember all of the events of the last week of Jesus’ life and death before the Resurrection. We remember the story from John where Jesus washes the disciples’ feet and gives the new commandment on Maundy Thursday. Celebrations of Holy Communion happen on the same day. We remember his death on Good Friday. But, we rarely have time for the events and statements that happen from Monday to Wednesday. The last week was a... Read more
Our group stood on a catwalk looking over the restored floor on an ancient house in Sepphoris, Israel. It was a beautiful mosaic depicting two women as the hostesses and presumably owners of the house. Like all 1st century mosaics, it was rather busy. One could see many scenes. One scene in particular captured my attention. It was a triumphal procession. A male figure rode in triumph on the back of a donkey. Other figures waved palm branches. I appreciated... Read more
Lent is almost over. Palm Sunday is almost here. The Easter Season is coming next. The question remains. What do we do once we proclaim “Christ is Risen”? It is a good question. The answer most of us were given in church was “tell other people about it.” What does Mary Magdalene do once she sees Jesus near the tomb? What did the angel tell the women to do after showing them an empty tomb? It is obvious. They went... Read more
The panic has returned. Wendell Berry’s title character in Jayber Crow says from time to time “the war returned.” He was talking about the wars in his lifetime. They were no different from each other. I believe the same thing could be said about the panic. It takes different forms. But it returns. This time the panic involves the supply of dry goods (paper products), some foodstuffs, and weapons. Last time it involved psychiatrists and courts. The Satanic Panic Stories of... Read more
Recent events have reminded us that facts are important. Indeed, the very importance of truth has been demonstrated for us. It has been done in a negative way. Still, we witnessed many sane responses to facts that intend to save lives and appear to do so. It is a cause for celebration. I have seen too many lies from too many fundamentalist sources to believe that truth matters to many of them. The President and many leaders in his party... Read more
The New Testament writers understood the importance of social stability. The letters of Ss. Peter and Paul include requests for prayers for the leaders of the government to provide peace, security, and order. These prayers are not acts of patriotic support for the government or the empire. They are offered for good order to be preserved so that the church can experience peace. Essentially, the writings of the New Testament reflect a community living in exile. They followed the example... Read more
Early in 1991, the telephone in the church parsonage rang. The senior minister answered the call. An agitated voice on the other end of the line asked the question. “Is this the end times?” Other ministers faced the same issue. Often the ministers knew the people that called them. Sometimes they had no idea who the person was. Many other times the minister would have a vague recollection of having met the person leaving the Sunday worship. The call was... Read more
I am tempted to despair in this time of global pandemic. I see a denial on the part of some for political reasons. The denials take the form of conspiracy theories about where the virus originated or who caused it. I could be equally disheartened by the desperation I see when hoarding begins and by the cynicism of price gouging. The despair appears as infectious as the COVID-19 virus that plagues the world. Isolation appears to be the rule of... Read more
Imposing ashes is one of the distinctive attributes of Western Christianity. It is the beginning of Lent – the Great Fast of Spring. Lent begins on Wednesday a traditional day of fasting for weekly practice. Friday is the other traditional fast day. Carnivale and Mardi Gras are celebrations before the fast begins. They are celebrations of being alive. Shrove Tuesday – the English version of Mardi Gras – is much more subdued. It is a time for giving thanks for... Read more
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