John 20:1-20, a sermon for the sunrise service “Early on the first day of the week, while it [is] still dark, Mary of Magdala [comes] to the tomb.” What a fool she is: Grief floods her body with every step. Her heart feels like it has broken in two. The Roman empire has killed Jesus, […]
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John 13:1-17, 31b-35 It isn’t quite foot washing, but it is close. In 1968, Mr. Francois Clemmons, who played a black police officer on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, filmed a scene with Mr. Fred Rogers, a white Presbyterian minister. Mr. Clemmons hadn’t originally wanted the job as the police officer. He reports that he grew up […]
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Psalm 118:1-5, 19-29 & Mark 11:1-11 The psalmist writes: “Out of my distress I called on The Lord; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.” What does it meant to be set in a broad space? Two years ago, during Lent, my friend and colleague Jennifer Zogg came to Essex and […]
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Mark 8:31-38 Let’s face it. How do we learn to face things? What does that look like? I was pondering that question this week while I was reading the book Second Chances by Cat Hoke. In the book, Cat talks about visiting a prison one day, and seeing the entrepreneur talent of the prisoners. She […]
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Joel 2:12-17 American Poet Langston Hughes writes: “Gather out of star-dust, Earth-dust, Cloud-dust, Storm-dust, And splinters of hail, One handful of dream-dust Not for sale.” Great things come from dust. Hughes reminds us of that with his words; the book of Genesis reminds us of that when it tells us that God fashioned humankind out […]
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Mark 1:21-28 What do you see? As a child, I used to leaf through the pages of the Magic Eye books in wonder. Each book contained the promise that the pages within its covers would reveal a 3-D image not noticeable at first glance To perceive this promised image, it instructed you to take the […]
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Mark 1:14-20 I found myself listening to the music of Pete Townsend this week, who sings, “When everyone keeps retreating but you can’t seem to get enough. Let my love open the door …” He continues, “When everything seems all over, When everyone seems unkind … Let my love open the door; Let my love […]
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This week, I have been thinking about a different Scripture than the one read today. This week, I found myself thinking about the Scripture that says: Jesus wept. This is Jesus’ response to the death of a good friend named Lazarus. Jesus hears that Lazarus is ill, goes to see him and, upon arrival, learns […]
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Matthew 22:15-22 Poet William Blake writes, “We are put on earth a little space that we may learn to bear the beams of love.” What happens when we really allow the beams of love to penetrate our heart, to soften our being, and to move our soul? I was pondering that question this week when […]
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Matthew 20:1-16 In the book Tiny Beautiful Things, I read a story about a woman named Cheryl Strayed; Cheryl’s mother dies unexpectedly when Cheryl is twenty-two. The Christmas before her mother dies, Cheryl’s mother gives her a warm coat. The mother has saved for months to buy this coat and thinks it is perfect for Cheryl. […]
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