Today's Epistle contains what I think is probably one of the most surprising and helpful things the Apostle Paul says in his writings: A new grounding of morality and ethics that doesn't just do away with the Law, but rejects the binary of 'permitted' and 'forbidden', or 'lawful' and 'illegal' altogether. In the sixth chapter … Continue reading Everything is Permissible
The other day, we commemorated the Baptism of Jesus, a truly powerful moment in the life of Jesus and a paradigm for our own life of faith. Unfortunately, our Sunday lectionary readings this year skip what happens next: Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. I say 'unfortunately,' because it feels like this part of the story … Continue reading Tempted
Today, on this first Sunday after Epiphany, we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus. For me this commemoration is sort of like an Epiphany Part II, because I spent several years in the Eastern Orthodox Church, where Christ's Baptism in the Jordan is the primary commemoration of Epiphany itself. In the Eastern tradition, the feast is … Continue reading Waters of Repentance
Arise! Shine! For your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. These are some of the most joyous words in all of the Scriptures. And these are the words upon which we are asked to reflect on this great and holy feast of the Epiphany. Historically speaking, Epiphany, literally … Continue reading Arise! Shine! (A Reflection for Epiphany 2021)
A recurring theme here lately, especially during Advent and in this Christmas season, has been how Jesus reveals to us who God is. This is the most obvious consequence of Christian belief that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, a belief we call the Incarnation. But today I'd like to talk about the … Continue reading Word Made Flesh, or, How to Be Human
