I have to admit that I groaned a little when I saw that today's Gospel reading was from John 17. It's actually a beautiful passage in its own way, recording Jesus' impassioned prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane in the hours before he was arrested. But, with its stream-of-consciousness style, which loops back on itself … Continue reading A Prayer for the People of God: A Reflection on John 17.6-19
Today is Ascension Day, which commemorates the end of the forty days of Jesus' earthly appearances after his resurrection, and his ascent into heaven. The story itself, as related in the Acts of the Apostles, is as simple as it is odd: As they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him … Continue reading A Glorious Inheritance: A Reflection on the Feast of the Ascension
The world often seems impossibly divided. 'Left' and 'right', 'East' and 'West', 'North and South', Black and white, 'sinners' and 'saved' — such divisions, oversimplified as they are, seem to govern much of our public discourse. As frustrating and even frightening as this may be, it is also a very human state of affairs. We … Continue reading A New People: A Reflection on Acts 10.44-48
Throughout this Easter season, I've often found myself writing some version of the phrase "our lives are caught up in Christ's." This is usually followed by some explanation, like "because we are anointed with the same Spirit he was." It's a similar idea to the ancient Christian theological precept, "We become by grace all that … Continue reading Vine and Branches: A Reflection on John 15.1-8
So far this Easter season, our Sunday Gospels have shown us how the disciples' encounters with Jesus after his resurrection empowered them to take up his mantle and spread his message of repentance and forgiveness around the world. My midweek post this past week picked up this last theme, exploring the ways we've cheapened the … Continue reading In Truth and Action: A Reflection on John 10.11-18 and 1 John 3.16-24
Matthew Root 