Mark 10:17-31 “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The person who asks this question is known as the rich young man, or the rich young ruler. He has the sociocultural trifecta- wealth, youth, and status. He has many possessions, Mark tells us. He also seems to have a fourth important factor-Continue reading “Freedom in Christ is Free”
Author Archives: amcaudill27
Welcoming the Child
Mark 9:30-37 One of the best sermons I’ve ever heard preached came from the mouth of a 3 year old. It was in seminary, in the school chapel, on a Thursday night. Normally, that chapel was a pretty intense and intimidating place. It was where we learned to do the dance of liturgy to theContinue reading “Welcoming the Child”
Who will save us?
Mark 8:27-38 Who do people say that Jesus is? A savior, a prophet, a healer, a friend, a sacrificial lamb, a judge, a Messiah, a wisdom teacher, a radical, a revolutionary, a Palestinian Jew, the Son of God, just a really good dude with some good ideas—the list goes on. I’ve even heard questionably earnestContinue reading “Who will save us?”
Being Human, and Being Better at it
Mark 7:24-37 The reality of the incarnation is one of the greatest scandals of history. Not the fact that God came to earth, plenty of deities have done that in mythology from all over the world. Not the fact that a human woman gave birth to a somehow more-than-human child, since of course the mythsContinue reading “Being Human, and Being Better at it”
What Comes Out
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Amid a spike in Covid and other illnesses as end-of-summer travel bugs collide with back-to-school germs, its hard not to be on the side of the Pharisees when they ask why Jesus’s disciples are eating with unwashed hands. So I want to be very clear- Jesus is not condemning hand hygiene.Continue reading “What Comes Out”
Enough
John 6:1-21 I have lost count of the times I have heard someone ask “Will there be enough?” in the hours before a church event. As bodies flow into a potluck and the dishes on the table don’t seem to keep pace, we bite our nails and check the freezer for a backup plan. AsContinue reading “Enough”
Choosing Rest
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 This week, I had the privilege of joining our friends at Trinity Lynchburg, Grace Memorial Lynchburg, and Peakland Baptist as they hosted Compassion Camp. It might have looked to us like a VBS, but the Trinity children’s minister reminded us often that this is not vacation Bible school, because most children doContinue reading “Choosing Rest”
The Dance of Power
Mark 6:14-29 & 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 The story of the death of John the Baptist is a gruesome and theatrical one, a strange blip in the middle of a record of Jesus’s public ministry. Other than Mark’s brief introduction to the tale, which is really just a short list of rumors being spread aboutContinue reading “The Dance of Power”
Partners in Ministry
Mark 6:1-13 Having just returned from a visit to my hometown, where I spent time among my own kin and in my family homes, I feel a particular closeness with Jesus in this passage. Ben and I went to Louisville to work, to represent our parishes and our diocese in a meeting of over aContinue reading “Partners in Ministry”
Naming the Hurt
Mark 5:21-43 For the past ten days, as many of you know, I have been in my hometown of Louisville Kentucky for the 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church. It was a marathon of worship, parliamentary procedure, networking, reconnecting with old friends and mentors, and learning. I look forward to talking with you moreContinue reading “Naming the Hurt”
Mother A Writes 