RoboPreacher

in the veil of great surprises... Jesus told them a parable about the need to pray always and not lose heart.                                   -Luke 18:1 The Gospel for Easter is the puzzling ending of Mark’s Gospel: As they (Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome) entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’ So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. (Mark 16:1-8, abridged) For as unsettling as this ending is to the Gospel, ...

The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark ! Alongside the road; S. Central to be exact, sits a church. The people there live by the light of their best window.  The window was a gift, actually; after members there had to rebuild after a fire destroyed the first building they purchased to worship in.  This window isn’t a Tiffany masterpiece, by any means. In fact, as far as church windows go, it’s pretty boilerplate, standard; Christ in the clouds, opening his hands in welcome. But the folks there, alongside the road, they live in the light of this window. The sanctuary, in fact, was designed to direct everyone’s sight to that stained-glass depiction of the resurrected Savior.  So the folks who worship there, week after week, live in the light of that window; their best one… Some have been going there so long, the window has begun to blend in; and they can only remember the days when the window first struck them. Memories of wondering if those we...

The Holy Gospel according to St. John Today we lay Jeanne to rest.  Her struggles with her health this past year had taken their toll on Jeanne; and so although we do grieve today, we also take some solace in the fact that she is at peace now. That isn’t to say, it was easy getting to this point. When she was at the care center or hospital she longed to be home, to have coffee with the gals. Then, the day the doctor told her and her family, there wasn’t any more that could be done; Jeanne did struggle; at first . She would often talk to me about being a little apprehensive about being laid to rest; not knowing exactly what was next. And I know that, shortly after her doctor visit, she also told some of you that she was afraid… Yet between then and last Saturday Jeanne passed peacefully.  And not only that; because after that talk with the doctors, after Jeanne had time to pray, read her Bible, and talk with her loved ones, she was able to say she ...

The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark ! One of my pet-peeves is when people of faith look down their nose at the first disciples.  Those of us who have the comfort of hearing about their foibles, 2,000 years later and in the comfort of our own Bible study, ought to be a little more hesitant to cast aspersions on these first disciples, who indeed did leave everything to follow Jesus.  Those of us who have tried to follow this same Jesus; and know personally about the need for forgiveness in much smaller stakes; should be at least a little more sympathetic when we hear about the shortcomings of these disciples. Like we’re want to do today… “Oh, don’t James and John get it yet ,” we groan to ourselves, when we hear about their request to sit and Jesus’ left and right hand… Honestly, the appeal of these Brothers’ Zebedee, is a perfectly reasonable one. These two are just doing what each one of us does every day; trying to get a choice spot in the pecking...

to before we changed it The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark 9 ! Well, wouldn’t you know it, I’ve got another problem on this third week of Lent…  And my problem, as I hope you’re not surprised by now, is Jesus ; Jesus and his foolishness . “Then take last place,” he dares to say! Can you believe it? Take last place?!?! I mean, what am I going to do with that up here? First of all, you’re no fools; you all know that is not the way it works.  It’s a dog-eat-dog would out there, you gotta prove yourself, you have to be ambitious ! Take last place? No, not if you’re going to make it in this life! Yet here I am, stuck with Jesus’ Word today that is just far too foolish to do anything with. This foolish Word doesn’t work as advice . I mean, what kind of advice is giving up, taking last place? Nor does this Word work as motivation. Who would be motivated to anything with encouragement like, ‘just give up?’  And finally, even our last...

when you first began it The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark ! Well, we’ve got another problem on this second week of Lent; or maybe to be more accurate, I should say I’ve got a problem… My problem, as it turns out, is today’s Gospel. Because here’s the thing; I love you all, I know how hard following is, I know how busy you all are, and I know how you really do try to be faithful. And while I’d prefer to come up here and say something anodyne like “I know you’re  doing your best,” or “ you deserve a break;” today’s Gospel won’t allow me to do that kind of thing. Sorry... Jesus and his Word stands firm: Pick up your cross. Deny yourself. Don’t try to save your life, lose it. Follow me… … And I thought I was giving up a lot when I dropped meat from my menu for Lent … So, I’ve got a problem; although I love you, and although I know you’re doing your best; I can’t give you any wiggle room, I can’t let you off the hook of Jesus’ hard Word today… Sorry....