Jesus’ Other Mother

September 9, 2018 In foreign territory, Jesus is confronted by a Gentile woman who asks him to cure her daughter.  In this conversation with an exceedingly polite, deferential, distressed mother, Jesus seems to be a pitiful caricature of his…

Identity politics: Jesus’ Way

September 2, 2018 Back in Mark’s Gospel, we find Jesus confronted by scribes and Pharisees over his lack of practicing traditional purity rituals (laws). The upsurge in identity politics we’re experiencing this summer feels a lot like…

Oh, Yeah. Gimme the Hard Stuff!

August 26, 2018 The end of John’s telling of Jesus’ feeding 5,000 doesn’t end well.  Like their ancestors who murmured all the while God kept their newly freed selves fed and watered in the desert, many of these recently fed folk also…

Is Holy Communion Dine-in, or Take-out? Yes!

August 19, 2018 Jesus, still disputing with folks who’ve had their fill of bread says, "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them." (Jn 6:56).  "To abide," means, what your heart is set on.  As Jesus sees it,…

If Ya Are What Ya Eat, What Ya Eat Matters

August 12, 2018 In this third slice of John’s 6th chapter, we hear Jesus and some of those who’d followed him across the lake in a conversation where they, too, are talking passed each other.  It’s a bit reminiscent of the conversation…

Ya Are What Ya Eat!

August 5, 2018 Still in John’s Gospel’s 6th chapter - this Sunday, we’ll encounter the crowd Jesus fed previously.  Here, they follow him asking for more – more food and more proof Jesus is connected to God the way he says he is. The…

Feeding of the 5,000

July 29, 2018 Beginning this Sunday, and for four additional weeks, we’ll hear from the 6th chapter of John’s Gospel.  We begin with the feeding of the 5,000. This new feeding thing is the only miracle reported in all four Gospels. …

Sunday at Bethany – February 4, 2018

This Sunday we find Jesus and some of his disciples in Peter’s house.  There, we see Jesus heal Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever.  Mark tells us, He (Jesus) came and took her by the hand and lifted her up.  Then the fever left her, and…

Sunday at Bethany – January 28, 2018

What definition of unclean spirit or demon makes sense in our day?  Try this on for size:  a demon is something that sucks the life out of you, without giving anything back. Now if we work with this definition, rather than the kinds of…