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Blogging Towards Sunday, May 22nd, 2011

End of the World +1

John 14:1-14 | 1 Peter 2:1-10

According to the billboards I've seen around the Bay Area for the past 2 + months Sunday most likely won't come for those that follow Jesus of Nazareth, calling him master, and Lord.  And yet I suspect I'll be here come Sunday.  Guess I'll need to write a sermon.  As I think about those signs proclaiming God's judgement on May 21st and wrestle with the words of Jesus in John 14, responding to Thomas' uncertainty and questions by asserting that Jesus is "the Way, the Truth and the Life" I just can't accept that it will all end come Saturday night at 6pm in an earthquake.  I'm stuck with 2 thoughts: 1) Jesus says himself that no one but God the Father will know when that hour of radical world transforming revelation (or apocalypse in Greek) will appear [Matthew 24:36] and 2) Jesus seems to teach those that follow him to live in the world, not to flee the world.

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Blogging Towards Sunday, May 15 2011

Psalm 23 | John 10:1-10 | Acts 2:42-47

The major theme of the scriptures proposed to us by the Lectionary Cycle after Easter wrestle with what it means to be sent out into the world as disciples, followers of Jesus, in his name.  The lift up the paradox that we're sent out and that Jesus goes with us.  We're sent with authority that he had and gives to us.  We're sent not just to proclaim, but to build community, to testify to how our lives have been changed, to point to the birthing pains of an emerging new thing in the universe, begun in the resurrection.

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Blogging towards Sunday, May 8^th  

Luke 24:13-35

Being sent into the world is a major theme of the scriptures that we read after Easter. As we listen again to the testimonies of those that experienced the great teacher as the resurrected One, we have to ask ourselves how is it that we experience him as both teacher and resurrected Lord today, here in the context of the 2011 East Bay?

This story is unique to Luke.  Some say a faint echo of it can be found in Mark 16:12-13.  This pilgrimage story follows Luke’s telling of the resurrection encounter at the empty tomb (Luke 24:1-12).  These two followers of Jesus are heading towards Emmaus.  They’re on a journey – not just to a village 7 miles away, but also on the journey of faith.  They’ve heard the report of the women, and wonder at what it means.