by Shelly | Sep 20, 2024 | Sermons
True greatness is serving all Today we hear James warn against selfish ambition, while the disciples quarrel over which one of them is the greatest. Jesus tells them the way to be great is to serve. Then, to make it concrete, he puts in front of them a flesh-and-blood...
by Shelly | Aug 25, 2024 | Sermons
Be opened – in body, mind, and spirit James tells us to stop showing favoritism in the assembly, treating the rich visitor with more honor than the poor one. Jesus himself seems to show partiality in his first response to the Syrophoenician woman in today’s...
by Shelly | Aug 15, 2024 | Sermons
Jesus offers himself as God’s Wisdom Wisdom prepares a feast, sets her table, and invites all to come and eat her bread and drink her wine. The first chapter of John’s gospel owes much to the biblical tradition that imagined Wisdom as existing before anything...
by Shelly | Aug 8, 2024 | Sermons
Seeking daily bread, Jesus offers himself Jesus says that the bread he gives for the life of the world is his flesh, and whoever eats this bread has eternal life now and will be raised on the last day. In Ephesians Paul tells us what this life Jesus gives us looks...
by Shelly | Aug 3, 2024 | Sermons
Seeking daily bread, Jesus offers himself Apparently not satisfied by Jesus’ feeding of thousands, some who were there press him for a sign of his power; perhaps it is daily manna they want. As always in John’s gospel when people want a sign, Jesus offers himself. He...
by Shelly | Jul 25, 2024 | Sermons
Bringing the kingdom of God Today is the first of five Sundays with gospel readings from John 6, the first four of which focus on Jesus as bread of life. Today Jesus feeds thousands of people with five loaves and two fish. What we have, what we bring to Jesus’ table,...