The Church’s traditional focus on the subordination of women, 

as well as its insistence on male power and privilege, 

and its perversion of Christian ideals of love, 

Means that the Church is behind in addressing issues of abuse against women.

So beloved, since God loved us so much, 

we also ought to love one another,

In word and deed.

 

Sermon: Fourth Sunday of Easter

Psalm 23, 1 John 3, John 10:11-18

 

The narratives of faith we hear on Good Shepherding Sunday speak to us of being known, being called, and being gathered into one.  We are given a glimpse that life as God intends -  means - that those who don’t experience belonging, are meant to find...

In the Creeds, we don’t say, that we believe in the resurrection of the soul,

We say, we believe in the resurrection of the body.

That is, Christians shouldn’t be saying that the soul separates from the body and all we have left is this immortal soul, 

and the body is completely cast off like a useless banana peel.

Easter Sunday   

John 20:1-18

 

While it was still dark….

 

The Easter Gospel opens with these words.  

 

While it was still dark, in those brilliant early morning hours when most of the world still slept, Mary gets up and goes to the tomb.

 

While it was still dark…

Even as the sun had not yet...

Well, Thomas is given the choice: of unbelief or belief.

Jesus doesn’t force faith on Thomas,

There is no ultimatum, no threats, no shunning or guilt-trips.

There just is love shown and demonstrated…

the wounds of love are shown, 

The marks of God’s compassion are revealed 

and Thomas is spoken to in the way that he can best understand it, 

by an act of love.

It’s almost impossible not to come to a Good Friday service 

and feel sorry for your imperfections, 

and assume that the sermon will have as its title: 

“Jesus died for your sins.” 

And no doubt there will be a majority of preachers today preaching a sermon on precisely that theme.

In our year of living with COVID-19, 

many of us have felt like we’re under siege as well.

We’ve been fearful these past 12 months.

Fourth Sunday in Lent
Numbers 21:4-9, John 3:14-21

 

I’ve said this before,

God’s word invites us to enter into the story and to become a part.  Yes, there’s a God moment happening again today… unfolding in our midst. Do you want to be a part?  Of course you do. However, your enthusiasm might depend on...

Whoever now visits this coastline, and drives along the coastal highway, will notice an impressive row of exclusive clubhouses.

The coastline is still as dangerous as ever, 

but most of the shipwrecked people drown.