Blog (Page 220)

John 14:8-14 “Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’” vs. 8 It’s ironic that the assigned lectionary verses for Mother’s Day are all about our desires for an intimate connection with the Father. Many sanctuaries will be filled this week. Mother’s Day ranks right after Easter and Christmas when it comes to church attendance…and way ahead of Pentecost. It has become customary, at least in the United States, for people to make worshipping…

John 14:1-7 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” vs. 1 Over and over again we have savored these words when death has come to a loved one. The pain and the sadness may be overwhelming. We mourn the loss of a dear companion and our hearts ache at the prospect of life without them. And then come these words, and Jesus tells us as he told his disciples the night before he…

1 Peter 2:7-10 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” vs. 9 As Martin Luther, armed with his fresh understanding of grace and faith, continued to search the scriptures, he began to describe the Church as the “priesthood of all believers.” That insight eroded the influence and authority of what had…

1 Peter 2:2-6 “Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house,” vss. 4-5a When people sign up for a trip to the Holy Land, they are likely anticipating a brief tour of ancient archeological sites and looking forward to “walking in the footsteps of Jesus.” And indeed that’s a part of the experience. Tour groups do see a lot…

Psalm 31:5, 15-16 “My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.” vs. 15 Life can at times seem so very fragile. We know from our daily experiences that it can be snatched away at any moment, and many times there’s nothing to be done. There’s a randomness to violence and disease that defies preparations and safety precautions. Even though we might want to live out our days in good health and sound…

Psalm 31:1-4 “In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me.” vs. 1 The psalmist has one big request of the Lord: that he would not ever be put to shame. It’s a petition that comes up again and again in the Psalms. For people in that time and culture, shame was closely connected to honor, and nothing could be more humiliating than to have one’s name be…

Acts 7:55-60 “Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.” vs. 60 Stephen had been chosen by the community to help in the distribution of assistance to the poor, but as time went by he found himself the focus of unwanted attention. Some resented his works and words and plotted against him, even bringing false testimony against him…much as the crowds had…

John 10:6-10 “I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” vs. 9 Right at the point in this passage where we expect that Jesus might say, “I am the Good Shepherd,” he announces, “I am the gate,” which seems a bit bizarre. Upon reflection however, we see that this image contains an amazing insight. All of us are on a journey through life and the road we…

John 10:1-5 “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” vs. 3 According to Jesus, the relationship between a shepherd and the sheep is intensely personal. Not only do the sheep know the voice of the shepherd, the shepherd knows every sheep by name. For Jesus, it’s the perfect metaphor for describing his relationship with his followers. That’s why one of the earliest depictions…

1 Peter 2:22-25 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” vs. 24 As early Christians worked through their understanding of Jesus’s death, they agreed that it had everything to do with forgiveness. In Peter’s words, “by his wounds you have been healed.” But they were equally convinced that this wasn’t the end of the journey for believers. Forgiveness was…

1 Peter 2:19-21 “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.” vs. 21 Being called to discipleship brings amazing benefits. Purely by grace we have forgiveness of sins and hope for the future. More than that, we have become a part of the Church, the very Body of Christ, and are his presence in the world…such a calling is both an honor and…

Psalm 23:3-6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” vs. 6 The psalmist isn’t naive enough to say that there will never be dark days for those who have the Lord as their shepherd. He knows perfectly well from experience that there is plenty of ugliness in our world, and sometimes it catches up with us. Occasionally, we are even…