Where Is He Who…, Christ the King (B) – 2009

November 22, 2009

“Where is he who is born king of the Jews?” the magi asked. That question alerted Herod to the presence of a rival in his midst. To eliminate the rival he had his soldiers kill all children in an entire region of his realm. “Are you the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked Jesus mockingly. […]

Have You Considered My Servant…, Proper 7 (B) – 2009

June 21, 2009

“Have you considered my servant Job?” God asked the Adversary in the first chapter of Job. And that was the fateful question, the catalyst, the push that set in motion a chain of events that would leave Job near despair. Job had seven sons and three daughters, and his livestock numbered in the hundreds. He […]

When Philip Reported to Jesus…, Lent 5 (B) – 2009

March 29, 2009

Phillips Brooks, author of “O little town of Bethlehem,” and briefly Bishop of Massachusetts, was also responsible for one of the masterpieces of American nineteenth-century church architecture: Trinity Church in Boston’s Copley Square. Brooks played a very direct role in Trinity’s design. However, there is one feature of Brooks’ design that is visible only to […]

The Pharisees Despised…, Proper 24 (A) – 2008

October 19, 2008

The Pharisees despised the Herodians with good reason. Like their namesake, Herod, the Herodians cooperated with the Roman occupiers and oppressors. The Pharisees, though not advocates of violent revolution, were loyal to Judaism and its God. The Herodians put political expedience first; the Pharisees put the Jewish faith first. So, it must have come as […]

It’s Good to Be King…, Christ the King (C) – 2007

November 25, 2007

“It’s good to be king!” says Louis the Fourteenth in Mel Brooks’ film “History of the World, Part One,” but the Feast of Christ the King makes many of us uneasy. We have little experience of kings and queens, and much of our experience has not been very positive. Of course, the United States was […]

Jesus Had Just Said…, Proper 13 (C) – 2007

August 05, 2007

Jesus had just said, “When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say.” Then suddenly, out of the blue, someone in the crowd shouted to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with […]

Quite a Few of Us…, Lent 5 (C) – 2007

March 25, 2007

Quite a few of us grew up in evangelical churches and were raised on a diet of fiery preaching and gospel hymns. One of the most popular hymns of that genre is “What a friend we have in Jesus.” Jesus was rich in friends and found great joy in them. Indeed, his choice of friends […]

I Suspect…, Proper 18 (B) – 2006

September 10, 2006

I suspect that “pushy” women do an enormous amount of the work that keeps the world going. One very popular pushy woman is Baroness Thatcher of Grantham, the first woman to serve as Britain’s Prime Minister. In the late 1980s, Mrs. Thatcher was often criticized for being “school-marmish” and “hectoring.” But if she were a […]

A Tall Tale, Feast of the Epiphany – 2006

January 06, 2006

I want to give a personal two thumbs up to the movie “Big Fish.” “Big Fish” is the story of a father and a son that begins and ends at a river. The father, Edward Bloom, is larger than life. On the day of his son William’s birth, he catches the biggest catfish in Alabama’s […]

Songs of Exile, Advent 2 (B) – 2005

December 04, 2005

In the year 539 BC, Cyrus, the ruler of the Persians, conquered the Babylonians. A relatively benign and tolerant ruler, in the following year Cyrus allowed the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem and Judea and resume their customs and traditions, provided that they recognized his authority. Around the time of Cyrus’ decree, the prophet […]