This morning, in our readings from Mark, our author appears to take a surprising, lengthy, graphic and rather un-Mark like detour in the middle of his stories about Jesus, or is he? Mark has been talking about authority and has commented on those who did not accept Jesus’ authority. Now he gives us glimpse intoContinue reading “7 Pentecost 2021”
Author Archives: mtrbev11
6 Pentecost 2021
For the last several weeks, Mark has been demonstrating for us the authority and power Jesus possesses and Paul, in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, has been defending his authority and power delegated to him through Jesus. This can begin to sound like just so much office politics. Why do we care? What makesContinue reading “6 Pentecost 2021”
5 Pentecost 2021
I suspect today’s reading from 2nd Corinthians is not the topic of many sermons when there is also David’s love of Saul and Jonathan and Jesus’s healing of two diverse people in a span of 5 minutes, but I think it offers us the opportunity to discuss both church unity and the spiritual aspect ofContinue reading “5 Pentecost 2021”
4 Pentecost 2021
Fear is one of those English words that has a broad range of meanings, especially when it comes to translating the Hebrew and Greek scriptures into English. But perhaps that is not entirely the fault of the English. It appears the Hebrews and the Greeks used their words rather broadly as well. It can meanContinue reading “4 Pentecost 2021”
3 Pentecost 2021
There is no greater act of faith than to make your living off the land, farming, ranching, fishing, etc. For most of humanity’s existence this is how we lived, first as hunter gatherers, then by planting and raising livestock or going out to sea to fish. Only gradually, as we became more efficient at producingContinue reading “3 Pentecost 2021”
2 Pentecost 2021
Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:1 &2) This is the first commandant given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. It is easy forContinue reading “2 Pentecost 2021”
Trinity Sunday 2021
What does God look like to you? In our Old Testament reading this morning, Isaiah is in the temple of Jerusalem where he has a vision of the veil between heaven and earth opening up and immediately above the temple sits the throne of God. This was a common belief at this time that heavenContinue reading “Trinity Sunday 2021”
Pentecost 2021
“When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place.” That statement, so simple, holds a world of meaning. Behind that statement is a 50-day roller-coaster ride that has changed their lives forever. In front of it is another long ride that will change the world forever. Pentecost is anContinue reading “Pentecost 2021”
7 Easter 2021
As many of you know, I enjoy dabbling in genealogy. I especially love reading the old colonial wills because they gave you great insights into the life and relationships of the individual. They all begin with “being of sound mind” much as ours do, but then many of them unashamedly admitted the “uncertainty of life”Continue reading “7 Easter 2021”
6 Easter 2021
While still in the midst of Easter we are asked to look back at Jesus’ last night with his disciples, just hours before his arrest. We hear stories of people calling their loved ones in the middle of a disaster – the plane you are in is going to crash, your house has been washedContinue reading “6 Easter 2021”
