John 3:1-17 Dear Partner in Preaching, I find it slightly ironic that this Sunday focuses on, in my humble opinion :), one the worst possible theme for a sermon – the Trinity – and yet features some of the more interesting stories from the New Testament. As for the theme, Trinity Sunday is the only Sunday oriented to church doctrine, and I’ve always found the prospect of offering a sermon on the Trinity not just daunting but downright dicey. Which surprises me a bit, because I’m a huge proponent of using our sermons to teach our folks about our shared faith. But the Trinity? Goodness, who really understands it? And how does a...

John 17:6-19 Dear Partner in Preaching, Just two observations on this complex portion of what we often call “the High Priestly Prayer” when Jesus’ intercedes on behalf of his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion. Both are prompted by the repetition of key words. The first is “world” (kosmos). According to John’s Jesus, the world is not a friendly place. It has rejected Jesus, it poses threats to Jesus’ disciples, and it is something that occasions Jesus’ request that God protect the disciples from it. Although some of John’s theology feels a bit gnostic in its portrayal of a remarkably dispassionate Jesus, I...

John 15:1-8 Dear Partner in Preaching, I will confess right up front that I find preaching from the Farewell Discourses (John 14-16) seriously challenging. The combination of significant metaphor; a palpable sense of, but nevertheless elusive, original context; and strange mixture of promise, exhortation, and warning have always prompted me to walk – and preach – gingerly when tarrying in this particular portion of John’s Gospel. It feels like the Fourth Evangelist was writing to a community in pain, struggling with their identity in relation to former friends and synagogue members and a host of losses and fears that are...

John 10:11-18 It’s Good Shepherd Sunday, Dear Partner in Preaching, which means the text before us is a portion of the “Good Shepherd Discourse” found in John 10. This long address follows, and is actually a narrative extension of, the healing of the man born blind in John 9. In light of the failure and spiritual blindness of religious authorities who condemn the healing of a man sightless from birth, Jesus offers himself as a counter example, picking up a theme that runs throughout the Old Testament of God’s good shepherds contrasted with leaders who shirk their responsibility and fail to care for God’s people. This year, we...

Luke 24:36b-48 Dear Partner in Preaching, It’s been a while since I’ve been able to post. A combination of my own work as a pastor and preacher at Mount Olivet, trying to navigate re-opening as conditions improve (and then worsen again), and the fact that we have opted for a more narrative approach to the lectionary have all conspired against posting as regularly as I would like. I am hoping to resume this discipline and dialogue with you but will make no promises. 🙂 For today, a few thoughts on Luke’s continuing story of Jesus post-resurrection appearances. The plural is key, as it is “appearances.” Luke offers by...