May 25, 2014 - Easter 6A

Lectionary Readings

In the name of the Risen Lord. Amen.

            “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you.” That line comes from today’s reading from 1 Peter, and is, in my opinion, one of the most important verses in the Bible. Another translation puts it slightly differently- “Whenever anyone asks you to speak of your hope, be ready to give an answer.”  If, when you walk out of church today, someone stopped you and asked “what gives you hope” or “why do you believe,” how would you respond? This is one of the most important questions that we can consider in our faith. This Easter season, as we celebrate the power of the Resurrection in our lives and in our world, how would we describe that Easter hope to others?

May 11, 2014 - Easter 4A

Lectionary Readings

In the name of the Risen Lord. Amen.

            “What difference does the Resurrection make in your life?” That was a question that I heard asked at a gathering recently. It’s a good question for us all to consider this Eastertide- what difference does the Resurrection make in your life? Notice that the question isn’t “what difference does the Resurrection make in your death?” This isn’t about the Final Judgment or some philosophical pondering on what happens to us once we cross the horizon of death. No, this is a question about your life; a question about this very moment. What difference does the Resurrection make in your life?

May 4, 2014 - Easter 3A

Lectionary Readings

In the name of the Risen Lord. Amen.

            This passage from Luke is my favorite of the Resurrection appearances of Jesus and is one of the longest of the Resurrection appearances and provides no shortage of material for the preacher, and it is found only in Luke. If you read the verses immediately before and after this passage, it reads as a cohesive unit- “But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened… while they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’”