If you search through the Bible you won’t find the word “Trinity” in any part of the book. Today’s gospel is a rarity in that it shows Jesus talking about all three persons of the Trinity in a single story. Yet, it’s not a theological discussion on how it is that one God is in…
So what is God like? If you ask children and even some adults, they might tell you that God is an old man with a long white beard in a long white robe, sitting in a big chair somewhere up in the clouds.
It may feel rather backwards chronologically, but our gospel for today doesn’t come from one of the post-resurrection Easter appearances of Jesus, but from his final conversation with the disciples on Maundy Thursday. It was written however, for a community that was surely in need of Jesus’ good words.
It may feel rather backwards chronologically, but our gospel for today doesn’t come from one of the post-resurrection Easter appearances of Jesus, but from his final conversation with the disciples on Maundy Thursday. It was written however, for a community that was surely in need of Jesus’ good words.
In Through the Looking Glass, the Queen says to Alice, “I’m just one hundred and one, five months and a day.” “I can’t believe that!” said Alice. “Can’t you?” the Queen said in a pitying tone. “Try again: draw a long breath, and shut your eyes.” Alice laughed. “There’s no use trying,” she said: “one…
Like many of the Hebrew psalms, the twenty-third is attributed to King David. Since he was a shepherd in his youth, it makes for a good story, but scholars can’t say for sure who wrote the song.
For centuries, people have told this story and talked about Thomas like he was some kind of loser. Doubting Thomas! It’s never meant as a compliment. And it’s really not fair. Our English translations of the text have done Thomas a disservice.
The gospel writer John uses the word “testimony” to describe the baptizer John. He was a man sent from God as a witness, a witness to the light: Jesus, the Word of God made flesh. The baptizer John witnessed to the truth that he knew
Martin Luther [hold up photo of MLKing, Jr] – no. Martin Luther [hold up picture of Martin Luther] – yes. Martin Luther was a good monk. He prayed. He worshipped numerous times each day. He studied his Bible. He confessed his sins. A lot.
You can guide where water is poured, at times, but you can’t determine the exact path each molecule will take. It will trickle this way one time, another way the next. When each of us were baptized, the pastor called on God’s Holy Spirit to be poured out on us.