Mark 4:35-41 A common refrain in some Christian communities over the past year has been “Faith over fear.” We may have heard or even said ourselves the phrase “We cannot live in fear.” Indeed, one of the most repeated refrains in Holy Scripture is the invocation of the angels: Do not be afraid. Jesus’s responseContinue reading “Keep Getting in the Boat”
Author Archives: amcaudill27
With what can we compare?
Mark 4:26-34 With what can we compare the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is like a seed that has been scattered over soil. The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. The kingdom of God is like a parable that is told in public and explained in private. The kingdom of GodContinue reading “With what can we compare?”
Redefining Family
Mark 3:20-35 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” In our passage from the Gospel according to Mark this morning, Jesus poses a startling question. “Who are my mother and my brothers?” This section of the Gospel is packed full of twists and turns and characters, and it is important for us to notice eachContinue reading “Redefining Family”
Life Daily Laid Down
1 John 3:16-24 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. When we in our culture talk about someone who has laid down their life for another, we speak of heroism, of martyrdom, of an unjust death in the pursuitContinue reading “Life Daily Laid Down”
Lessons in the Aftermath
Acts 4:32-35 Last week, in the dim light of the empty tomb, we asked if fear and faith can coexist. We asked how the failures and the falling short of the first apostles can reflect the state of our own hearts, and what we might learn from the redemption God made possible in them. WeContinue reading “Lessons in the Aftermath”
Faith & Fear
Easter Weekend, Mark 16:1-8 You may notice that something is missing in our passage today, or rather, someone. The ending of the Gospel according to Mark has disturbed and dissatisfied Mark’s audiences from the very moment it was written down. So much has it disquieted believers that early church communities took it upon themselves toContinue reading “Faith & Fear”
Love Laid Bare
Maundy Thursday, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 When I was in college, I lived for a year and a half in a house owned by the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky. This house was on the same property as St John’s Episcopal Church, right next door to the house they used as their church office. It had aContinue reading “Love Laid Bare”
Lent, Continued.
John 12:20-33 Although the flower-laden celebration of Easter is still two weeks away, the first buds are appearing on the trees, the first blooms are bursting forth, and spring is officially upon us. Fresh fruits and vegetables are becoming more numerous in the markets and patio seating is a little more comfortable than it hasContinue reading “Lent, Continued.”
Inheritance
I’ve been thinking a lot about your dining table The one you spent weeks, months hunting for. It has to be big enough, you said, For all of us. For the family. The pride in your smile when you found it The pictures didn’t do it justice, you said. It needs a little love, youContinue reading “Inheritance”
Not a Tame Lion
John 2:13-22 The images we encounter of Jesus, whether they be physical icons or works of art that we can see and touch, or metaphors and scenes we come back to in moments of prayer and contemplation, shape our understanding of the personality of the incarnate God. Perhaps you are familiar with a particular paintingContinue reading “Not a Tame Lion”
Mother A Writes 