Tag: Jesus Christ
-
[Re-]Making History
A sermon on 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33, delivered at the Corydon Presbyterian Church on Sunday, August 8: This scripture reading picks up the story of king David at least eleven years after the events we read about last week; a lot has happened during that time; it’s a plot worthy of a Netflix original […]
-
Reflecting on Romans 5 1-11
Can we see how Romans 5:1-11 supports “confident hope”? “Confident hope” is allegedly the stated theme of all the texts we are studying this quarter, but Romans 5:1-11 really brings that theme into focus. [Some notes on the text are here.] Here are a few more questions about the text we might want to think […]
-
Studying Romans 5 1-11
Maybe if more people knew how precious they are to God, people would be happier, and the world would be different. We are studying Romans 5:1-11 for Sunday, July 25, and I hope it will be impossible for any of us to read this text without coming away with an even deeper sense than we […]
-
Studying Matthew 14 22-33
We are studying Matthew 14:22-33 for Sunday, June 27. This is the story in which Jesus walks on water. Peter manages to walk on water, too, for one verse. [Here are some questions on the text.] Here are my notes on this text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: We are a few chapters further on in Matthew’s […]
-
Open the Eyes of My Heart to Redefinitions
Things collide in church, sometimes. And explode. Mentally. Here’s what I mean: Our pastor is walking us through a series of meditations on the senses during Lent, based on the book Awaken Your Senses by J. Brent Bill and Beth A. Boorum. She is inviting us to pay conscious attention to the presence of God […]
-
Studying 1 Corinthians 1 26-30
We are studying 1 Corinthians 1:26-30, alongside Acts 16:11-15 and Acts 16:40, for Sunday, February 28. This text seems to be a capstone or overall commentary on the past five weeks of New Testament texts featuring women. Some notes on the Acts text are in a separate post; here are some notes on this text […]
-
Studying Matthew 2 7-15
We are studying Matthew 2:7-15 for Sunday, December 20; this is the part of Matthew’s story of Jesus’s birth, in which the wise men arrive in Bethlehem. [Some questions on the text are here.] Here are a few notes on this text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: We are still in the opening of Matthew’s gospel. As […]
-
Studying Matthew 1 1-17
We are studying Matthew 1:1-17 for Sunday, December 6. We’re also studying Hebrews 1:1-5, but these two texts are so different, it seemed better to put the notes in separate posts. [A few notes on Hebrews are here.] Some questions on the texts are here. So here are a few notes on Matthew: BACKGROUND AND […]
-
Studying 1 Corinthians 15 1-8 …
We are studying 1 Corinthians 15 (specifically, verses 1-8, 12-14, 20-23, and 42-45) for Sunday, April 12, Easter! Hallelujah! Despite not being able to assemble physically, we will be assembling spiritually, which may make this week’s text particularly appropriate, since it will ultimately turn our attention to the paradoxical concept of a “spiritual body.” Here […]
-
Questions for Reflection and Discussion – 2 Corinthians 13 1-11
We are studying 2 Corinthians 13:1-11 for Sunday, November 3 (which is also the kick-off for “Golden Rule 2020,” and is All Saints’ Day, and is time change – “fall back” – Sunday). Our text is Paul’s concluding exhortation to the members of the church in Corinth in the early 50s CE to consider what […]
-
Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today in worship we ordained and installed church officers – deacons, and one elder, mostly folks who are filling out unexpired terms for people who have fallen ill or have had to resign their position due to the sudden eruption of family demands. Taking responsibility in any organization is demanding. If the organization is your […]
Matters of Interpretation 