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?
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”
With all my soul 