I want to move slowly through Jesus' resurrection appearance in John's Gospel to appreciate the author's magnificent storytelling. In the other three Gospels, several women arrive at the tomb together, and they are met by dazzling angels who tell them Jesus has risen. Matthew is the most dramatic, 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, … Continue reading Love Will Find You
John 20:1-18 April 17, 2022 The earliest Easter artwork, in the 4th century of Christianity, shows two Roman soldiers keeping watch at the tomb; one is asleep and sees nothing, and the other is awake and staring at the empty tomb. I love the mystery in this artistic portrayal. If you aren’t watchful and awake, … Continue reading Woman, Why Are You Weeping?
Easter Sunday Mark 16:1-8 “When is an ending not the end? When a dead man rises from the tomb-and when a Gospel ends in the middle of a sentence.” A great story is only as good as the ending. I like stories where the plot twists surprise me. The surprise can’t be too out of the blue, like … Continue reading When Is An Ending Not the End
Luke 11:20, Mark 15:21 - First Sunday after Easter A reflection on Simon of Cyrene, cross-bearer Easter is over, now what? Here we are in a pandemic and maybe that Lenten feel hasn’t quite worn off. But that is not unlike the early church, where both the crucifixion and the resurrection were near their heart and soul. This … Continue reading Easter in a Time of Pandemic
John 18:1-20 April 21, 2019 The earliest Easter artwork, in the 4th century of Christianity, shows two Roman soldiers keeping watch at the tomb, one is asleep and sees nothing, the other is awake and staring at the empty tomb. I love the mystery in this artistic portrayal. If you aren’t awake and aware, you … Continue reading After Weeping and Ashes…Easter Joy
Sometimes hot tears need to flow down our cheeks, as our anger burns against the injustice of death, the killing of innocent people, against cruel and senseless violence. We need a good cry, the kind that soaks a box of tissues as we wipe away all the snot from our noses and we taste the salt on our lips. Whether my heart is broken by cancer claiming another person we love, or the crass celebration of “the mother of all bombs” as something good, sometimes we really should not be holding it together.
This is my 17th Easter Sermon, and I still find it tricky. We come to this moment each year with a crescendo of hope and excitement, but also with a great theological burden. What happened? Was the tomb of Jesus really empty? Was the resurrection a physical resuscitation of the body, or an apparition seen … Continue reading John 20:1-18 “The Great Resurrection”
To truly live our lives, we must face the reality of death. This may sound strange, contradictory, foolish or even harsh to you. You can disagree, and that’s Ok, but I still feel in the marrow of my bones that it is true. To truly live, we must face death. I wish it were not … Continue reading Easter 2011 – Falling out of the Sky
With all my soul 