Fifth Sunday in Lent

This week we read from the Gospel of John, Chapter 11. We’re almost there. We have been on this Lenten road since Ash Wednesday: about 28 of the forty days of Lent. We are in the home stretch, you could say! And as we journey through, we sometimes fail to remember that every Sunday celebrates…

Third Sunday in Lent

Repeatedly in John’s Gospel (and throughout the New Testament) people misunderstand Jesus in their first encounter with him. The unnamed woman at Jacob’s well and all of Jesus’ disciples find themselves initially among this number. Some never come to know who he is. In her conversation with Jesus, the Samaritan woman slowly moves from unbelief…

Second Sunday in Lent

If any character from the Bible can be regarded as representative of twenty-first century church members, it might be Nicodemus. He is spiritually open and curious, yet also rational. He is committed and curious enough that he makes an appointment to talk with Jesus face to face. However, Nicodemus is not ready to go public…

First Sunday in Lent

Dear sisters and brothers, Hearing the familiar story of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, we are tempted to think of this as sin, and hearing the story at the start of Lent makes the connection to sin all the stronger in our minds. A careful reading of this passage, however, reveals a…