Luke 8:26-39 Dear Partner in Preaching My apologies for the long “radio-silence.” While Holy Week and Easter are often the crunch times in ministry, followed by a bit of a respite, that has not been my experience this year. Board meetings and trips and baptisms and funerals and graduations all the things that make up congregational life have kept me running and made it very challenging to write… even late into the week. And I’m not sure when or if that will change, so I will continue to write when I’m able, but simply can’t promise that my reflections will be as regular as before. None of this, I want to be clear, should...

Luke 8:26-39 Dear Partner in Preaching, When I’ve written on this passage in years past, I’ve focused on the power of names. It regularly breaks my heart, for instance, to hear this young man respond to Jesus query, “What is your name?” by answering, “Legion.” He has defined himself, I’ve argued, by his deficits, by his ailment, by his pain, by his struggles and captivity. I’ve contrasted this shrunken, broken reality with the life-restoring gift of a new name and identity in Holy Baptism. I am still struck by this reality and, indeed, think it still preaches. J But this year I was taken not so much by what Jesus said to this...