Words of Welcome

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...

Luke 24:36b-48 When Brett was young, I enjoyed reading stories to him, which meant that I had permission to read Cat in the Hat, Go Dogs Go , and Run Away Bunny , among others.  If you’ve read Run Away Bunny did you hear the theological message that’s present in this story?  It starts this way: Once there was a little bunny who wanted to run away. So he said to his mother, “I am running away.” “If you run away,” said his mother, “I will run after you. For you are my little bunny. The bunny tries to come up with a variety of ways in which to escape, but the Mother Bunny always has an answer, and in the end the Bunny decides to stay home.  Now we could have a conversation about the importance of children leaving the nest, but when we read this story theologically it reminds us that no matter what we do, God will be there for us.     Since it’s still Easter, we continue to hear stories about Jesus’ resurrection appearances.  Thi...

John 20:19-31 I like Thomas.  He’s my kind of guy.  He asks good questions and pushes the right buttons.  He’s a realist and an empiricist.  So, when he hears that Jesus is risen, he wants to believe, but he also asks: “Are you sure?”   Thomas has gotten an unfortunate nickname, but is it fair to keep calling him “Doubting Thomas?”  After all, he didn’t ask for anything that the other disciples hadn’t already received.  Besides, the other disciples didn’t accept Mary Magdalene’s testimony, so why should he believe them?  Back in the 18th century, David Hume suggested that we should be skeptical of claims that don’t fit with normal human experience, and that led Hume to question many religious claims including the resurrection, because there simply isn’t any evidence from normal human experience to support these claims.  And I expect that even if you believe in the resurrection, you’ve embraced at least some of Hume’s pri...

Mark 16:1-8 Easter has finally arrived in all its glory, and we’ve come here this morning to lift our voices to God in praise.  We come to celebrate the good news that the tomb is empty and that Jesus is risen from the dead.  Death has lost its sting.  Upon hearing this good news we get to sing “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” and “Crown him with Many Crowns.”  We’ve heard the trumpet sound and we’ve shouted in response: “Alleluia! Christ is Risen!” This is indeed good news!  Or as Paul tells the Corinthians, this is a message of first importance to be passed on from one generation to the next (1 Cor. 15).   And so, in the words of an ancient hymn penned by St. John of Damascus: Now let the heavens be joyful! Let the earth its song begin!   The world resound in triumph, and all that is therein; let all things seen and unseen, their notes of gladness blend; for Christ the Lord has risen, our joy that has no end. ( Chalice...

Acts 11:1-18   How does God speak to us, if burning bushes aren’t a normative experience?   In answer to this question, we’ve considered Scripture, Tradition, and Reason, but could  God also speak to us through our own experiences and the experiences of others?   The idea that God might speak through experience is both an attractive and dangerous idea, but can faith be alive if it’s not experienced?       An answer might be found in St. Augustine’s confession:   “Thou hast made us for thyself and restless is our heart until it comes to rest in thee.”   And Augustine’s confession is similar to that of the Psalmist:      Just like a deer that craves streams of water,         my whole being craves you, God.     My whole being thirsts for God, for the living God.            When will I come and ...

Third in a series of four Acts 17:16-21     I think we’ve established over the past few weeks that even if God doesn’t normally speak to us in an audible voice, we can still hear the voice of God.  We just need help.  There’s Scripture, of course, which we often call the Word of God, and it is normally our starting point.  After all, we read from Scripture every Sunday as part of worship.  But as the Gospel of John reminds us, Jesus is the Word of God in the flesh, not the Bible.  Although Scripture seems to be a central way in which God speaks to us, is it the only way we hear God speak?      We started to answer this question last Sunday with a conversation about Tradition, which is the ongoing story of God’s involvement in our world, beginning with Creation and continuing to this day.  Tradition is an important voice, but perhaps there are still others that might speak to us.  If so, could Reason b...

Mark 7:1-13   I expect that most of us have never heard God speak directly to us in an audible voice.  We’ve never had a burning bush or Damascus Road experience.  So, if this is true, then how can we hear God’s voice?      Last Sunday we talked about how God might speak to us through Scripture, but even if it is the Word of God, is it the only voice through which God speaks?  Going forward I suggested a couple of other possibilities including Tradition, Reason, and Experience.  Having spoken on Scripture, as you might expect from this morning’s anthem, today I’m going to speak on Tradition.      Now, in Mark 7 we find Jesus confronting an angry group of religious leaders who are appalled that Jesus’ disciples hadn’t properly washed their hands before eating.  While it may sound like an issue of good hygiene, it was really more a question of following tradition.  These leaders didn’t ap...