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May we be empty
John 14.8-17; Acts 2.1-18
Read more: May we be emptyIn Christianity, we think of the guidance we get from God as coming from the Holy Spirit. And I wonder if our Christian ancestors are telling us, “you need to be open to receive. You need to make the choice to receive.” And when you do, you’ll be infectious. You’ll create a feeling of closeness…
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What do you have to believe?
John 11.17–27; Acts 17.1–4,10–12
Read more: What do you have to believe?Maybe “I believe you can raise the dead” feels too heavy for Martha right now. And that’s where this week’s reading cuts off. A few verses later, Mary has an interaction with Jesus that’s somewhat different, but still does not end in her explicitly believing Jesus will raise her brother from the dead. We know…
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Come away
Genesis 12.1–4; John 3.1–17
Read more: Come awayThe Hebrew scholar Naham M Sarna notes that there’s a crescendo that happens when God tells Abraham to “go.” God lists all that Abram would be leaving behind in increasing intimacy, increasing seriousness. “Leave your native land, leave your extended family, leave your father’s house. I am taking you somewhere new.” Quite a big ask,…
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Feed my sheep
John 21.1–19
Read more: Feed my sheepThis chapter of the book of John is known to biblical scholars as the Appendix. While every copy of John’s gospel that exists includes this chapter—so it’s unlikely that it was added on by a different author, or completely after the fact—it’s clear for literary reasons that the original writer of the gospel of John…
God and us
Sermons on John
2nd Peter (1) Acts (7) Genesis (2) Hebrews (1) Isaiah (1) Jeremiah (1) Job (1) John (4) Jonah (1) Luke (9) Mark (1) Matthew (3) Newsletters (1) Ruth (2)