Words of Welcome

  Acts 4:32-35 In the grave they laid the love by hatred slain, thinking that Jesus would not wake again, laid in the earth like grain sleeps unseen;  Love is come again like wheat rising green .  (John Crum, Chalice Hymnal 230 vs. 2) Easter Sunday has come and gone, but as this hymn reminds us, “Love is come again like wheat rising green.” Because we are Easter people, we celebrate the resurrection not only when we gather on Sunday but in every moment of our lives. That’s because the one laid in the grave is alive and present with us. Therefore, let us sing: “Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!” The Book of Acts tells the story of how the Holy Spirit empowered the church to proclaim the good news that Christ the Lord is risen. According to Luke this community centered around Jesus’ resurrection was “one in heart and soul.” To be “one in heart and soul,” as one commentator notes, “reflects an intensity of mutual devotion and shared existence that was...

John 17:20-26 When Jesus concluded his farewell remarks, he looked up to heaven and said: “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you” ( Jn. 17:1 ).  With these words, Jesus began what is often called his “High Priestly Prayer.” In a few moments, he will leave for the Garden where he will be arrested, but first Jesus prays for himself, for his disciples, and for everyone who will believe in him through the witness of his disciples.  Two words stand out in this prayer—the words in and one, which in Greek are en and hen. The word in reminds us that our oneness is rooted in a relationship that begins with Jesus and the Father, and then extends outward to include everyone who will believe. The prayer begins in verse one, but we pick up the prayer in verse 20. Jesus has already prayed for himself, that God would glorify him. He has prayed for the disciples, asking that they would be one as he and the Father are one. Now, Jesus focuse...

Psalm 133 The 133rd Psalm is one of my favorite passages of Scripture, because it speaks to one of my passions in life. That passion is the pursuit of Christian unity. It’s a blessing to hear the words: “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!” This is especially true when the course of history seems to be pulling nation and world further and further apart. The Psalmist reminds us that there is a better way, a way of unity. Perhaps this is why I was moved so powerfully the other evening, as  the Madrigal Chorale brought their concert to a close by singing Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” Yes:  I see trees of green........ Red roses too   I see em bloom..... For me and for you   And I think to myself.... What a wonderful world. Yes, what a wonderful world we live in, a world of God’s creation. Our Disciple identity statement offers a vision of wholeness taking hold in a fragmented world. This is a ...

1 Corinthians 12:3-13 I have a funny story to tell. Somehow, as I was laying out my sermon plans, when I got to Pentecost, I decided to go with the lectionary reading from 1 Corinthians 12. But, for some reason I put down 1 Corinthians 13 instead. Then, when I sat down to do worship planning, I used 1 Corinthians 13 as the guide. I also began contemplating how this message of love fit with Pentecost. It didn’t dawn on me until Tuesday morning that I had the wrong text. When I read through the lectionary selection, I thought it was odd that the lectionary would omit the first two verses. Now, the creators of the lectionary have their reasons for omitting verses of a passage, but what is it about speaking in the tongues of mortals and angels that would be controversial. So, I turned to a lectionary commentary to see why these verses had been omitted. To my surprise, I discovered that I had the wrong text.  Now everything made sense, including the title of the sermon. That’s how ...

1 Corinthians 11:27-34 When we are young, we learn our table manners. They may be culturally defined, but there are some things that you do and some things you don’t do. That makes cross cultural dining an adventure, because when you go into a different culture you may not know the proper etiquette!  As for me, when I was a child I learned that I shouldn’t talk with my mouth full of food. I also learned a proper way of holding the fork and the knife. And, I was taught to wait until everyone was served before I began eating. Whether we obey the rules or not, they have a purpose!

2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 On Friday afternoon, the President delivered the eulogy for Pastor Clementa Pinckney, one of the nine members of Emanuel AME Church who were gunned down the week before during Bible study. It is a powerful statement addressing the ills that confront our nation, including racism and violence. It is also a strong statement of the grace that redeems and heals. The President began his eulogy with these words:  We are here today to remember a man of God who lived by faith. A man who believed in things not seen. A man who believed there were better days ahead, off in the distance. A man of service who persevered, knowing full well he would not receive all those things he was promised, because he believed his efforts would deliver a better life for those who followed. After leading the congregation in singing “Amazing Grace,” the President intoned the names of those slain and called on the congregation and the nation to share in the grace that these nine ha...

John 10:11-18 As far as I know, none of us here has direct experience at being a shepherd.  Whatever we know about sheep and shepherding probably comes from books, movies, and our imaginations.  But, large numbers of people living in the ancient world did know a lot about sheep and shepherding, and so we shouldn’t be surprised to find both images present in the biblical story.  There is David the Shepherd King, and Jesus the Good Shepherd.  One of the most beloved passages of Scripture is the 23rd Psalm, which declares: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want . . .”   For many, the image of sheep and shepherds is rather serene and comforting.  If you Google Jesus and shepherd, you’ll find lots If you Google the words Jesus and shepherd you’ll find lots of pictures of a smiling Jesus surrounded by adoring sheep.  But, as both the 23rd Psalm and John 10 remind us, the life of the shepherd is anything but peaceful and serene.  There ar...

1 Corinthians 1:10-18 If you go to Beijing, you’ll find the body of Chairman Mao nicely entombed. And if you go to Moscow, you’ll find Lenin’s body on display, although he’s not as popular as he once was. Many seeming larger than life figures, both living and dead, have been elevated to seemingly divine status. Back when Paul was writing this letter to the Corinthians, his audience knew all about personality cults. The Roman Emperors were experts at cultivating them. In our day, we have a different set of idols. They may be sports heroes or celebrities. Although there are some who relish tearing down society’s idols, sharing the most intimate details of their lives in the various tabloids. But for most of us, these people – human as they may be – seem larger than life and almost unapproachable. If we get the chance to meet them, we do so with a great deal of shyness. Our palms get sweaty palms, our voices stammer nervously. Interestingly eno...

John 17:20-26 The bookstores are full of best-sellers warning us that religion is dangerous. Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens have written books that have caught the fancy of people who believe that religion, including Christianity, is at best irrational, and at worst “really does poison everything.” Religious fanatics who fly planes into tall buildings, blow up clinics, protest at funerals, or offer bombastic statements about any number of issues, only give support to these claims. And as for you and me, well, apparently we give cover to the fanatics simply by professing faith in God. I could try to ignore the critics, but some of their critiques are helpful, because they point out our tendency toward self-righteousness and feelings of superiority. And so when I saw the announcement that Pluralism Sunday would be observed on Pentecost, I decided to look into it and then I signed us up. Pluralism Sunday is sponsored by The Center for Progressive Christianity, and w...