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 …
Sin and Suffering
We had a rich and wide-ranging discussion on Wednesday night after dinner. We began discussing the long-promised fifth chapter of Marcus Borg’s Heart of Christianity, which concerns the place of Jesus as central to the Christian faith. As discussions of Christianity often do, this one eventually turned to the Bible. Specifically, we talked about how our witness to the life …
How is Lent Going?
We often treat Lent like New Year’s: a set of resolutions that will make us better people in the end, the people that we always wanted to be. We start a new diet or give up desserts or determine to pray more. These become chores that drag us down in our already busy schedules. By this, the Third Sunday of …
Death and the Possibility of New Life (Gun Violence Sabbath Sermon)
(This was my sermon from Sunday’s Gun Violence Sabbath. – Scott) Erbie Bowser was a school teacher who worked with special education students. He was an imposing figure at 6-foot 7-inches and 335 pounds, but was described as a “gentle giant” by those who knew him. He liked to have fun, entertaining crowds before Mavericks games with the a dance …
Reasoning from Above
This Sunday, Church in the Cliff is proud to participate in the Gun Violence Sabbath Weekend, in partnership with the Washington National Cathedral and Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence. In preparation, I’ve been looking at a lot of statistics. It’s upsetting. I remember the day of Sandy Hook. I was in California for Lisa’s company holiday party. We were …
Into the Wilderness
Jesus’ baptism was a spectacular event. The heavens open and the Spirit of God in the form of a dove lands on Jesus’ shoulder. Then a voice from the sky says: “This is my child, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” It is an unquestionable validation of who Jesus was. So he leaves. The Synoptic Gospels say that …
Leaving Galilee
On my trip to the Holy Land, the first week was idyllic. We began in Galilee in a hotel perched on a hillside overlooking the sea. Each morning when we awoke and each night before we turned in, we were treated to a feast from the bounty of the land. If I imagine God’s feast table in heaven, this is …