A week has passed for each of us, but in the world of our Gospel text we are mere hours past the feeding of the five thousand. A sign, a wonder, a miraculous feast made up of a child’s rations, enough to feed thousands to fullness and still come away with leftovers to share withContinue reading “The Bread of Life, pt 1”
Tag Archives: coronatide
Grace-filled & fed
The feeding of the great crowd, the feast of loaves and fishes, may be one of the most familiar Bible stories in the Gospels. This event, this impossible feast, was so striking and so influential to the early church that it appears six times across the four Gospels, six accounts of a single miracle. RatherContinue reading “Grace-filled & fed”
Gospel Rest
This sermon was written and recorded for both Grace Episcopal and St Mark’s Episcopal. I am indebted to Debie Thomas of Journey with Jesus for the guidance that brought this sermon into being after the disruption in my life by a recent injury. Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 After their first season of evangelism, the disciples cameContinue reading “Gospel Rest”
Hymns of Praise
Ephesians 1:3-14 I learned many things about myself, about God, and about the Church during the many hours I spent in the Chapel of the Apostles during seminary. This small modern chapel hosted liturgies three times a day during the week, most of which were led by students. Seminary students read the lessons, officiated theContinue reading “Hymns of Praise”
Thus says the Lord
Ezekiel 2:1-5 The people of God are not as familiar with the prophetic voice as we once were. Many of us now, were we to meet someone who claimed to be a prophet, would meet them with raised eyebrows or even with concern for their health. We might brush them aside, thank them and moveContinue reading “Thus says the Lord”
Reach
Mark 5:21-43 Today we join Jesus as he disembarks from the once storm-tossed boat and steps onto a beach that is quickly crowded with people. His reputation as a teacher and a healer precedes him, and everyone who is able comes rushing to meet him, craning for a glimpse of this mysterious man. Among theContinue reading “Reach”
Keep Getting in the Boat
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”
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?”
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”