The Gospel of John is often regarded as a very “spiritual” text, perhaps even an abstract, theological text. Some think it was included in the canon largely because it made claims about Jesus that other Gospels did not, claims that had become important to the Church, such as Jesus being God and stuff. This, in turn, creates the possibility of …
From Death into Life
This is the season when we sit with death and find the way to new life. Doug Pagitt says that every preacher has four sermons that get preached over and over and over. I guess this is one of my four. I’ll take it. Last night was our Maundy Thursday service. It was a very Church in the Cliff night. …
Holy Week: A Meditation on Death
Next week is Holy Week, the culmination of Lent and the gateway to Eastertide. During Holy Week, we remember the last week of Jesus’ life and the death that has come to mean so much. Growing up in a prosperous Southern Baptist church, we didn’t do Holy Week, or even Lent, for that matter. We talked about Palm Sunday, but …
Mostly Dead
When Fezzik and Inigo Montoya bring Westley to Miracle Max, they are sure that Westley is dead. They do not know so much, as Max explains, “It just so happens that your friend here is only mostly dead. There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead.” It seems that Michael Goldman, who wrote The Princess Bride, is a …