Jesus As the Vine…, Easter 6 (A) – 1999

May 09, 1999

Jesus as the vine with us as the branches is a very powerful model for the Christian life. It sets things straight as to how we are to be and what we are to do. As the text says, “cut off from me you can do nothing.” So this text calls us to be branches. […]

The Text from John’s…, Easter 5 (A) – 1999

May 02, 1999

This text from John’s gospel that we read and hear today is also commended to be read as part of our burial rite. It is commended to us because it is a statement of Jesus promise to us in the light of one of our worst fears. This fear is the fear of separation. When […]

Many of Us Can Remember…, Easter 3 (A) – 1999

April 18, 1999

Many of us can remember a time when our culture enjoyed a rich tradition of story telling. It was a simpler time, before there were televisions in every home. Many families spent the evenings together, telling stories. These were casual gatherings in some comfortable place, perhaps the kitchen table. The function of these family gatherings […]

There Are Many Truths…, Easter 2 (A) – 1999

April 11, 1999

There are many truths of which the full meaning cannot be realized until personal experience has brought it home. John Stuart Mill Sitting at a table in the lunchroom at work the other day, a small group of people began talking about the movie Titanic. One person in the group had not yet seen this […]

All of the Resurrection Stories…, Easter Day (A) – 1999

April 04, 1999

All of the Resurrection stories have one thing in common. God does something so strange and singular in nature that there is no way to explain what happened. And this strange thing that God does has, as its consequence, either faith, hope, and love, or disbelief. All we can see are “snapshots” or anecdotes of […]

Somewhere out in the Wilds…, Maundy Thursday – 1999

April 01, 1999

Somewhere out in the wilds of Cyberspace there is a website called “Ask the Oracle.” Those who stumble upon it as they surf the Internet are invited to have their fortune told. All that is required is to mentally focus on a yes/no question about the future. When the inquirer feels ready, she clicks on […]

It Seems Fitting to Begin…, Lent 4 (A) – 1999

March 14, 1999

It seems fitting to begin this meditation with a free translation from the Scots poet, Robert Burns: “Oh, that some power the gift could give us, to see ourselves as others see us. It would from many a blunder free us and foolish notion.” Certainly, if we could see ourselves through our neighbors’ eyes, most […]

A Teacher Decided…, Epiphany 5 (A) – 1999

February 07, 1999

A teacher decided to make chocolate chip cookies with her class of 6-year-olds. They carefully measured the flour, creamed the butter, and mixed in the chocolate chips and nuts. You know school children – they all wanted to eat the batter and lick the spoons. But the teacher made them promise to wait. Her plan […]

What Does It Take to Build…, Epiphany 4 (A) – 1999

January 31, 1999

Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. What does it take to build an authentic Christian character? The answer is easy, though the process is not: submission to Christ and a resultant discipleship based upon the teachings of Christ and Holy Scripture. The Sermon on the Mount is the […]

Epiphany Is the Season…, Epiphany 3 (A) – 1999

January 24, 1999

Epiphany is the season in which we open – or have opened on our behalf – the gift that comes to us at Christmas. During Epiphany, we renew our exploration of the profound mystery of the Word made flesh. During Epiphany, we begin to learn anew what that mystery means for our lives. The gift […]

This Is One of Several Reports…, Epiphany 2 (A) – 1999

January 17, 1999

This is one of several reports of the testimony of John Baptizer about the true role of Jesus Christ. John Baptizer (who you may know of as John the Baptist) has been given the task of preparing the way for the Messiah. It has been revealed to him that he would know his task was […]

Today We Seek to Understand, Feast of Epiphany – 1999

January 06, 1999

Today we seek to understand one of the most difficult of all movements or transitions in the Christian experience of faith. This is the movement from Incarnation to Epiphany. We have all been caught in the spirit of Christmas. Despite our theologizing about resurrection and our awareness that Easter should be our “biggest” holy day. […]