Good Friday Station 5: Simon of Cyrene Carries the Cross

a series of reflections based on this online stations of the cross I grew up with this song as the re-enactment of this part of the story. Simon is an innocent bystander, in the city of Jerusalem to sacrifice his lamb for Passover, and gets called into this grand narrative… Continue reading

Good Friday Station 4: Jesus Meets His Mother

a series of reflections based on this online stations of the cross experience. In the commentary on this station, the narrator talks about the prophecy Mary receives from Simeon about her heart being broken as she watches Jesus approach his death. The question the narrator asks is, “Has your heart been broken… Continue reading

Good Friday Station 3: Jesus Falls for the First Time

a series of reflections based on this online stations of the cross experience. This is the first station that doesn’t connect specifically with a situation in scripture, but has been part of church tradition for a long time. And isn’t that true–that there are things that this story of Jesus does and… Continue reading

Good Friday Station 2: Jesus takes up his cross

a series of reflections based on this online stations of the cross experience. What does it mean that Jesus takes up his cross, and then invites us to do the same? Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their… Continue reading

Good Friday Station 1: Jesus is condemned

The first of a series of reflections based on this online stations of the cross experience. “Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?” But (Jesus) gave them no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly… Continue reading

now THAT’s an apocalypse story…excerpts from a sermon

23rd Sunday after Pentecost Luke 21:5-19, Malachi 4:1-2a, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 What is it about end-of-the-world stories that is so captivating to us?  Whether it is the children’s story, Chicken Little, where a chicken runs through the kingdom yelling “the sky is falling, the sky is falling!” or the more… Continue reading

What’s the Point?

Ephesians 1:17-19 (as part of the Epistle Reading for 11/3/2019) 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know… Continue reading

All the Uncleanness Rules!

Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, so that they do not die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst. (Lev. 15:31) Six chapters of rules about what to do with different kinds of uncleanness.  Six chapters.  Of rules.  That’s… Continue reading