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Recently, an ad appeared on television. It pictured the advertising media’s image of the ideal American family. The husband and wife were young and appeared successful and had two small children, a boy and a girl. They were sitting in the family room watching their children play. The boy was busy with a computer game…
The text from the St John Gospel is a quintessential evangelism and mission text. First, Jesus said to Philip, “Follow me,” and he did! This is remarkable. It is just backwards from the way we are inclined to gather people into the Christian faith. There is a wonderful hymn by St. Richard of Chicester, commonly…
Today’s Gospel is a feast of improbable and colorful images. There is a certified and certifiable wildman named John the Baptist. This John is perhaps the most colorful personality in all of Holy Scripture. Then there is a truly strange event. John baptizes Jesus, who does not need to be baptized. Finally, there is a…
[This story for the Epiphany is a monologue from a camel’s point of view, and is draws on themes and stories told by Ted Loder, Frederich Buechner, John Shea, and Jean Vanier. It can simply be read, or it could easily be adapted as a kind of skit.] Ships of the desert, my eye! Being a beast…
Last Sunday we focused on the reality that we are allowed little time at the manger. If the Christmas créche is still placed in the liturgical space of your church, today might be a good time for moving the Holy Family to another place in the building, symbolizing their journey to Egypt. Children would especially…
We are not allowed long to linger at the manger. Here we are, only the day after Christmas, and we already are beginning to deal with the implications of the birth of Jesus. The lofty and majestic prologue from the Gospel of John captures the awesome and wondrous meaning of the Incarnation, the birth of…
It’s a strange scene to be sure. How well thought out does this plan seem? How weird does it strike you that God’s plan of salvation should depend upon the willingness of a young woman living in an obscure village of a remote province to trust a vision that tells her God wants her to…
It’s because the Baptist’s voice is so cold, urgent and disturbing that the Judaean priests and Levites come out to demand in effect: “Who do you think you are?” That’s what this morning’s Gospel dialogue is all about. And the Baptist’s answer is even more disconcerting. He is shaking up things as they are; he…
John appears extreme, but he is fundamental. He begins in the wilderness baptizing the multitude with water. John is the first born, barely having clothes on his back; eating what he can grope for. John rasps Apocalypse, then cleanses the people of their sin. Baptism by water is the first of our parenting; baptism by…
One of my favorite movies, one based on an equally wonderful play is Camelot, starring Richard Harris as King Arthur. It is the story of the Knights of the Round Table. It is the story of peace, joy, love, prosperity that once filled the land of England. But is it also the story of how…
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