Getting Lost in the Woods

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is quite intriguing. Some of his letters offer general counsel and teachings to early church communities. A bit like when Bishop Doug writes a letter to all the churches in our diocese.  Other letters, like this one to the early church in Corinth, are written to a single community facing particular concerns. It really gives a vibrant picture of what was going on in the community, which has been an insightful gift to other church communities throughout history. What we are reading is Paul’s reply to a letter he received from the Corinthians, where they had identified several issues their community was contending with: marriage, food sacrificed to idols, and spiritual gifts. The latter is addressed in today’s passage.  There was tension within the community, as some members were placing a higher value on certain spiritual gifts, particularly the ability to speak in tongues. This was then exasperated by the fact that some memb...

  In today’s lesson from Mark’s gospel we see Jesus teaching the gathered people about the kindom of God. (1 & 2)  The first parable compares the kindom of God to a seed, which someone has scattered on the ground, and after several days notices that the seed has sprouted and seems to grow more every day.  The one who scatters the seed has no idea how this seed is transforming.  It would seem the earth herself is producing the stalk, then the grain, and then the full grain head.  With time, the grain becomes ripe and is harvested.  The second parable compares the kindom of God to a mustard seed,  which when scattered on the ground grows somewhere between 6-20 feet tall, and with branches stretching as wide as 20 feet. (3)  How incredible that such a tiny seed could grow into such a massive plant, as well as become a habitat for area birds. So what is Jesus getting at with all this talk of seeds?  It would seem he is trying to tell the gat...

Ordinarily if I were the preacher on Maundy Thursday, I would invite us to reflect on the sacred beauty and inherent vulnerability of the foot washing ceremony.  Yet tonight’s service is as much about Jesus eating the Passover meal with his closest friends for the last time.   Using the bread and wine of the meal to create a sacred memorial of his Body and Blood, the sacrament of his presence with them.   In a year where a global pandemic has required us to fast from communion, somehow this piece of the story feels more poignant than ever before.  In our lesson from 1 Corinthians, Paul reminds us of Jesus’ words that final evening: “...the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’  In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as yo...

We end the season of Epiphany each year with the story of the transfiguration.  At the heart of the story is an unveiling.  Revealing the fullness of one who is somehow both fully human and divine.  When the veil is lifted back, we gain a better understanding of who Jesus is and how his way of life can continue to inspire our own ongoing transformation.  We know Mark’s gospel was the first of the four canonical gospels to be written.  It is a brief and fast-paced read.   The author intends for us to take in every detail and moment.  The gospel begins by introducing us to John the Baptist, who by verse nine is baptizing Jesus in the Jordan.  In Mark’s version of the baptism, when Jesus comes up and out of the water,  he alone  witnesses something spectacular.   The heavens are torn apart and the Spirit descended on him like a dove, while a voice from heaven said,  just to him :   ” You are my Son, the Beloved...