https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx8QKlE6jMk Son House, 'John the Revelator,' in concert, 1965. Book of Revelation 1 (NRSVue). 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the … Continue reading ‘Dwelling in the Word’: Looking at the Book of Revelation in a parish study group during apocalyptic times of huge turmoil
‘They wanted a king, what they got was bread’ — some preliminary thoughts on the feeding of 5,000 and the Eucharist
Benedictine Church of the Multiplication at Tabgha in Galilee. John 6 [NRSV]. [...] 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they[c] sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who … Continue reading ‘They wanted a king, what they got was bread’ — some preliminary thoughts on the feeding of 5,000 and the Eucharist
What can Rabbi Kushner and a bawdy church camp song tell us about John the Baptist and the kingdom of God?
Herold's Banquet, Fra Filippo Lippi, Fresco Duomo, Prato (Wikimedia) Mark 6 (NRSV) 22 When his daughter Herodias[e] came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” 23 And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give … Continue reading What can Rabbi Kushner and a bawdy church camp song tell us about John the Baptist and the kingdom of God?
How shall we know a prophet has been among us? Listening for the good news in Nazareth, Babylon — to a reggae beat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXf1j8Hz2bU Ezekiel 2 (NRSV). He said to me: O mortal,[a] stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you. 2 And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me. 3 He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of … Continue reading How shall we know a prophet has been among us? Listening for the good news in Nazareth, Babylon — to a reggae beat
‘Do not fear, only believe’: Unpacking the good news in a the miracle of healing a synagogue elder’s daughter in Capernum
Resurrection of Jairus' daughter, Albert von Keller, 1886 (Wikimedia Commons) Mark 5 (NRSV). 35 While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing[b] what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 Sunday's gospel … Continue reading ‘Do not fear, only believe’: Unpacking the good news in a the miracle of healing a synagogue elder’s daughter in Capernum
The parable of the mustard seed, the historical Jesus, the kingdom of God and a couple of kudzu jokes (Pentecost III)
Mustard plants in Galilee (I think the sign says 'no trespassing' in Hebrew) Mark 4 (NSRV). 26 [Jesus] also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of … Continue reading The parable of the mustard seed, the historical Jesus, the kingdom of God and a couple of kudzu jokes (Pentecost III)
God’s presence in an 11th-century Irish poem and a gust of wind on a nice spring afternoon — for Trinity Sunday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lx-iI-kFDA St. Patrick's Breastplate, Church of the Redeemer, Kenmore, Wash. John 3:1-17 (NRSV). 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being … Continue reading God’s presence in an 11th-century Irish poem and a gust of wind on a nice spring afternoon — for Trinity Sunday
Climbing up out of an English teacher-y rabbit hole with a little help from the Ursuline sisters and St. Philip the Deacon
St. Philip baptizes a eunuch, attributed to Jan Brueghel the Younger (Wikipedia) Acts 8 (NRSV) 35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to … Continue reading Climbing up out of an English teacher-y rabbit hole with a little help from the Ursuline sisters and St. Philip the Deacon
Coming to terms with John 3:16 with the help of Johnny Cash, the Carter family and the gospel according to Wikipedia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98jzQ478VNs 'Where the soul of man never dies' - Johnny Cash with June, Helen and Anita Carter John 3 [NRSV] 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.[i]16 “For God so loved the world that he gave … Continue reading Coming to terms with John 3:16 with the help of Johnny Cash, the Carter family and the gospel according to Wikipedia
Connecting the dots for Lent III on covenants, the destruction of the temple and the Church of the Nativity
Editor's (admin's) Note. Third of ___* Lenten meditations based on lectionary readings on the covenants of Noah, Abraham and Moses. This one riffs on the Ten Commandments and the passage in the Gospel of St. John where Jesus speaks of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. 'My father's house' -- Church of the Nativity, … Continue reading Connecting the dots for Lent III on covenants, the destruction of the temple and the Church of the Nativity
Noah’s rainbow sign: Good news for the 53rd Sunday in Lent in a pandemic?
Editor's (admin's) Note. First of ___ Lenten meditations based on lectionary readings on the covenants of Noah, Abraham and Moses. This one riffs on Noah the the sign of the rainbow. Rainbow (at lower right center of picture) outside Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem Genesis 9 [NRSV]: 8 Then God said to Noah and to his … Continue reading Noah’s rainbow sign: Good news for the 53rd Sunday in Lent in a pandemic?
Of law, gospel, a hungry she-bear and vocation on Elisha and Elijah’s way across the desert to the Jordan River
Road from Jericho (to the left) to the Jordan, the whirlwind and Elijah's chariot of fire. 2 Kings 2 (NRSV): 9 When they had crossed [the Jordan River], Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of … Continue reading Of law, gospel, a hungry she-bear and vocation on Elisha and Elijah’s way across the desert to the Jordan River
Casting out unclean spirits in the synagogue at Capernaum and on social media today (Epiphany IV)
Byzantine-era synagogue at Capernaum (security lights are a later addition). Mark 1:21-28 (NRSV): 21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a … Continue reading Casting out unclean spirits in the synagogue at Capernaum and on social media today (Epiphany IV)
Looking ahead to Advent, Christmas and a season of grief in a time of pandemic
I shared this article to Facebook, am linking it here for future reference ... Nathan Kirkpatrick "It's time to talk about Advent in a pandemic," Faith & Leadership, Duke Divinity School, Sept. 1, 2020 https://faithandleadership.com/nathan-kirkpatrick-its-time-talk-about-advent-pandemic?fbclid=IwAR0wSZUHEb75lTnB1kOg7NfHwvDeeN2A33ha1WYj9WvGy9-woHVKIacDEBw. Nathan Kirkpatrick is managing director, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity EXCERPTS: A colleague posted to Facebook last week that his … Continue reading Looking ahead to Advent, Christmas and a season of grief in a time of pandemic
Back to the future (and the righteousness of the God of Israel) with a Jesuit spiritual exercise for Pentecost XIII
A swing and a miss, and then a clean base hit (imho) with Ignatian contemplation ... Ruins of Roman temple and grotto of Pan at Caesarea Philippi (Wikimedia Commons). What you're about to read is an experiment. Or, to use another metaphor, a test drive. Call it a test-drive in that time-traveling DeLorean made famous … Continue reading Back to the future (and the righteousness of the God of Israel) with a Jesuit spiritual exercise for Pentecost XIII
Spiritual journal for August — further thoughts on Word and sacrament in a time of pandemic
Email sent today to my spiritual director, lightly edited. Since it quotes extensively from this blog (and WordPress isn't letting me do block quotations the way I want to), I am putting my email message in lightface italics and leaving quoted material in Roman type. Hi Sister -- [* * *] Not very much to … Continue reading Spiritual journal for August — further thoughts on Word and sacrament in a time of pandemic
Elijah and the word of the Lord: No windstorm, no fire, no earthquake. Just get back to work (Pentecost X)
1 Kings 19:11-13 (NRSV) [The word of the Lord] said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the … Continue reading Elijah and the word of the Lord: No windstorm, no fire, no earthquake. Just get back to work (Pentecost X)
A parable of sowing the word of the kingdom of heaven on YouTube and Facebook (for Pentecost VI)
Sunday service, Peace Lutheran Church, Springfield, Ill., July 12, 2020 (Pentecost VI) Yesterday's lectionary reading, for the sixth Sunday after Pentecost (ordinary time to non-Lutherans), was the the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. Which means, if you think about it, watching the service on social media was almost like a parable about a … Continue reading A parable of sowing the word of the kingdom of heaven on YouTube and Facebook (for Pentecost VI)
A sustainable ‘new normal’? Maybe, with a little help from the Holy Spirit — stray thoughts for Pentecost and Trinity Sunday
Video clip prepared for Pentecost Sunday service. Offer valid at any time. It's been a brutal spring for everybody, but -- for reasons I can't quite explain -- lately I've felt like maybe we're beginning to turn a corner. It's been three months now since Debi and I went into quarantine just as the COVID-19 … Continue reading A sustainable ‘new normal’? Maybe, with a little help from the Holy Spirit — stray thoughts for Pentecost and Trinity Sunday
An after-Christmas epiphany on John 1:1-5 and Genesis: We’re burning up the garden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsiD5tB9yrc ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corp.), Jan. 8, 2020. Genesis 2:15 (KJV). And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.To dress it and to keep it (Ellicott's Commentary). The first word literally means to work it; for though a paradise, yet the garden … Continue reading An after-Christmas epiphany on John 1:1-5 and Genesis: We’re burning up the garden
Spiritual direction — December 2019
Email sent Saturday to my spiritual director and posted here to provide a monthly update on themes we've been working on and my progress (or lack thereof). Lightly edited to fix obvious illiteracies and reformatted. Hi Sister -- Just looked at the calendar with something else in mind and realized our meeting is Monday afternoon. … Continue reading Spiritual direction — December 2019
Of a gentle nudge from Jehovah, a Scots-Irish folk hymn and a childhood table grace on the interstate north of Lincoln
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRdS5dIVmbM RESIGNATION, "My shepherd will supply my need ..." (Southern Harmony, No. 38) Bob Meeks Memorial Singing at Harrods Creek Baptist Church, Brownsboro, Ky., April 28-29, 2012. Before I get into what I'm about to say, I'd like to state for the record I don't believe the Common Lectionary was designed with me in mind. … Continue reading Of a gentle nudge from Jehovah, a Scots-Irish folk hymn and a childhood table grace on the interstate north of Lincoln
Speaking truth to power, praying for discernment — a reflection for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost
Luke 12:49 “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! 51 Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 52 From … Continue reading Speaking truth to power, praying for discernment — a reflection for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost
Ordinary Time 