At what point did Jesus know he was God’s son and not Joseph’s? Did Mary share that story aloud; did it happen coming out of the Jordan at baptism; did God tell him at his bar mitzvah? Jesus’ relationship with God seems to have been intense, but not in a superhuman way. Jesus prayed; God seemed to talk to him; Jesus was disturbed by what … Continue reading On the 5th Day of Christmas
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason … Continue reading On the 4th Day of Christmas
Food, drink, work With divine purpose- Through Jesus Continue reading On the 3rd Day of Christmas
Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained … Continue reading On the 2nd Day of Christmas
The packaging matters. When it comes to Christmas gifts, I am terrible at wrapping. Yet, I know that the colored paper adds to the excitement. It tells me to be ready for a surprise. The packaging of God’s gift to us in Jesus is flesh and blood, the normal stuff of normal humanity. There is no reason to assume that Jesus was pleasing to the … Continue reading 1st Day of Christmas
A: Joe and Mary Last night: hope, dancing Now: disgrace, scarlet letters? Could use a savior B: Joe and Angel “We trust you. You will raise the child to love.” Sin’s grip loosens, hope is born. Continue reading Lectionary Haikus: Joseph
I am okay with the Pastoral Jesus. I love the images of him carrying the lamb on his shoulder. I like to think that as the pre-Incarnate Christ was there at creation, he has a good way with animals and people. I preach regularly about the universal salvation of Jesus. For Advent, the Incarnation is Jesus’ first act of reconciling us to himself. By the … Continue reading My Current Beef with Jesus of Nazareth, Savior of All Creation
One of the best ideas I’ve ever come up with is the Children’s Message Sermon Series. I don’t want to say that I invented it, but I don’t know of anyone else who does it this way. Nor can I find any such resources on the web. The awesome part is that the Children’s Message Sermon Series allows me to do real theology and Bible … Continue reading Jesus’ Family Tree
Image via Wikipedia I love my car. 2006 Honda Civic, 5-speed. As I am out of the office more than I am in it, my car is an extension of my office and suffers the consequences. Here is what is currently in the passenger seat: Jug of kitty litter (unopened) Bag of cat food (unopened) Vote pro-life tract left on my windshield Sunday Six pack … Continue reading The Itinerant Preacher’s Car
I’ve begun feeling a dearth of women leaders in the West Virginia Annual Conference. This is all the more strange given my marriage to a female elder. It’s not that they’re not out there…it’s that they’re so out there (or I’m so in here) that our paths only cross with strict intentionality. My DS is a man. My Bishop is a man. My ordination mentor … Continue reading High-Heeled Foot Prints in the Sand
