John 10:11-17 ; 1 John 3:16-18,23-24 Here’s a question for you: Would anyone notice if our church disappeared? I remember the first time I heard someone ask that question. It was something I had never thought of before, because church has been a central part of my life for my whole life. Every time I have moved to a new place, finding a church was always on the A-list of things I needed to get done. I had never even given a thought to the possibility of church disappearing. So I was intrigued by the question. But I have to admit, my first thought on hearing it was quite literal. The church we were talking about takes up almost an entire block of Market Street. If it was suddenly one day gone, leaving behind a big vacant lot, people would notice. Of course, people would notice. It might even warrant a […]
Continue readingMonth: April 2021
While in Their Joy: Dancing Sure
Luke 24:36-48 1 John 3: 1-3 Some years ago when I was leading a church youth group I showed them how to play the laughing game. One person lies on the floor, the next person lies down with their head on the first person’s belly. Then the next person lies down with their head on the second person’s belly, and so on until you have a chain of people lying on the floor. The first person starts to laugh – it’s ok if it’s fake. When they start laughing, the second person starts laughing, then the next one and the next one and pretty soon everyone is really laughing. I don’t know why, but that’s what happens. Laughter is contagious. That’s why TV sitcoms have a laugh track if not a studio audience, to help us start laughing. In fact, this is something I have really missed during the pandemic. […]
Continue readingWith Great Power: Dancing Together
1 John 1: 1-4 I know someone who likes to explain to me his philosophy of religion every chance he gets. This is how he looks at it, he says. It’s better to believe in God than not believe in God. If God is real, you win! And if it turns out there is no God, what have you lost? Nothing. On the other hand, if you choose not to believe and it turns out you should have, then God might be pretty ticked off at you somewhere down the road. So, you should believe in God, because – really, what have you got to lose? It’s as safe as a bet can be. My friend likes this argument and maybe even thinks he invented it. He didn’t. It’s called Pascal’s Wager, named after the 17th century philosopher. So it’s been around for a while. And it probably appeals to lots […]
Continue readingFor All Peoples, A Feast!
Isaiah 25:6-9 This is an Easter like no other in our lives, after a year like no other. But the story we share today is the same as ever. Last year on Easter morning we read the same story from the Gospel of John. That early in the morning while it was still dark, Mary went to the tomb to care for the body of a loved one, Jesus. I am sure Mary had already been shedding a lot of tears, between Friday and this early morning walk to the tomb. Possibly, she felt like she was all cried out. She had that kind of headache that you get behind your eyes when you have been crying a lot. And now she was just thinking about the task ahead of her – Which she thought was fairly predictable. But when she arrived, she found something she could not have imagined. […]
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