Matthew 25:31-46 Dear Partner in Preaching, First, a note of profound apology. I was experimenting over the weekend with embedding different kinds of links on blog posts and, much to my surprise and embarrassment, they were sent out to you on Saturday and Sunday. I’m assuming I had the temporary post up – oddly, for no more than 5 minutes – when the program that sends out new posts to subscribers went out. As I immediately deleted all temporary posts when I was finished, I have no idea how or why one went out again on Sunday. In event, this was not a meant as a sales-pitch, endorsement, or Christmas wish-list! J I’m...

John 18:33-37 Dear Partner in Preaching, As I read the Gospel of John – and, indeed, all the Gospels – I am increasingly convinced that I have missed the more radical nature of the message of and about our Lord. Today’s reading offers a perfect example, as of late I’ve come to suspect that I have misread a key, and perhaps central, portion of it. Here’s the verse in question: “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here’” (John 18:36). For most of my interpretive...

Dear Partner in Preaching, Do you like surprises? I’ll be honest, I’m a little conflicted about them. Actually not all that conflicted, as I really like surprising others – with an unexpected visit or gift, for instance – but I really don’t like being surprised myself. A bit hypocritical, perhaps, but there you go. I think it’s that I like being prepared, feeling more or less ready for what’s coming, and surprises undermine that kind of confidence. I ask this question because I think this passage turns on the matter of surprises. Notice that both those identified as sheep and those named goats are surprised by what Jesus says....