John

When this woman heard what she thought to be true about the movement of God among us, she testified.

Because my yearning comes from somewhere, and that somewhere must be you.

John 1:29–42

We don't need to explain logos theology; we need to bear witness to Jesus coming into our world.

Small deceptions work like a narcotic, making us feel nicely respectable. Especially in church.

Small deceptions work like a narcotic, making us feel nicely respectable. Especially in church.

In opioid country, churches get to know their recovery communities.

My state has the same number of churches as prisoners. This fact haunts me.

My state has the same number of churches as prisoners. This fact haunts me.

At Cana, Jesus asks Mary, "What is this to me and to you?" It is very important that the church hear this question.

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are connected as older and younger siblings. It's an asymmetrical relationship.

One of the gifts of the lectionary is that a biblical text wears different vestments depending on when it shows up for Christian worship.

On a recent work trip, I took a break to see Beautiful, the Carole King musical. I had not realized her songs' impact on me. I sat mesmerized as I heard the story of King's life woven together by songs she had written or co-written. I could sing along with every single song. They were not just the story of her life--I wondered if they had something to do with my own life and its trajectory as well.

The traveler eats whatever food is placed before her; she aims to learn as much of the language as possible. A tourist sacrifices less.

The reading from Revelation 22 concludes the book’s resurrection songs: the baptized enjoy the fruits of the tree of life.  But the tree is not merely one of the countless archetypal trees that religions and cultures everywhere have imagined.

It’s common to confuse ministry leaders with Jesus. We can see ourselves in Judas’s question to Jesus, “How is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” Why do we have to carry the message?

It’s common to confuse ministry leaders with Jesus. We can see ourselves in Judas’s question to Jesus, “How is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” Why do we have to carry the message?

Jesus uses both words and deeds to prepare his followers for his absence. Are the disciples watching for what it means to really, really love? Are we?

Jesus uses both words and deeds to prepare his followers for his absence. Are the disciples watching for what it means to really, really love? Are we?

On Sunday, we hear the story from John 21 of Jesus and Peter on the beach. Jesus asks Peter three times, "Do you love me?" and three times Peter answers, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Then Jesus tells him, "Feed my sheep." We also hear about how Saul became the apostle Paul, on the road to Damascus. Here he was, on the way to persecute the followers of the Way, and out of the blue, Jesus speaks to him, too: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" There he is struck blind, and when he sees again, he has a new calling as a follower of Jesus and a missionary to the gentiles.

On one Sunday, we hear stories of two of the main characters from the New Testament. But I can't help being drawn to Ananias.