John 4:5-42 Third Sunday in Lent

Today’s reading: http://bible.oremus.org

“Look around you and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting.” What triggered that comment? What lay behind it? If we explore these questions perhaps we can learn something about a trend that has puzzled me: the mega-church. Mega-churches, bastions of conservative theology – even to the point of biblical literalism – can attract up to 20,000 people to a Sunday service. Why? What is their appeal? Are we in the mainline churches missing something? If we dig into Jesus’ words about fields ripe for harvesting, I believe they will yield an insight into the appeal of mega-churches.

John 3:1-17 Second Sunday in Lent

Today’s reading: http://bible.oremus.org

Our lenten journey has begun. Many pilgrims, probably including us, stop after a few initial miles and ask themselves, “What am I doing here?” “What was the purpose of this pilgrimage?” That is the question I want to explore today: what is this lenten journey all about? Why am I on it? And why must it last forty days?

John 1:29-47 Celebrating MLK Day

Today’s reading: http//bible.oremus.org

Martin Luther King, Jr. was raised to greatness; he wasn’t born there. If we put ourselves into his shoes back in December of 1955, we are not standing on a mountain top. True, within the black community Martin stood as a child of privilege; but privilege is external, like a suit of clothes. Greatness flowers from what lies within. In 1955 no one knew what lay within Martin. He simply stuck his neck out and agreed to head the bus boycott. He had no idea where it would lead, either for himself or for the nation. Death or disgrace seemed the most likely outcome for this unknown preacher.