Today’s Gospel passage describes two encounters with the resurrected Jesus, the first happens on Easter Sunday evening and the other one week later. Listen closely. 19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of…
“When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who…
One thing that is not new to the human experience is suffering; it has always been a part of life. Suffering, hardship, pain, grief, and the sometimes unspeakable things that human beings do to other people, have always been part of human history. They have also been part of causing people to question or doubt…
Many people enjoy following the men’s college basketball tournament that continues this weekend. Amazingly approximately $6 billion dollars is wagered on March Madness. If you watch the players closely, many of them talk a lot on the court. There is a lot of trash talking and boasting that goes on. This type of behavior is…
Over the last decade as American men and women have been serving and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan some of their funerals here in the United States have been protested by a small group of misguided people who are largely from one family. The fact that the leader of the group calls himself a pastor…
Mark records fewer words of Jesus than any of the other Gospels. The first half of Mark (1:1-8:26) is about the person of Christ. Jesus moves through Galilee with power and compassion. He is almost constantly active and his growing popularity is met by growing opposition. Jesus is frequently telling people he has healed or…
Tonight are the Academy Awards, Hollywood’s annual celebration of itself. I’ve always liked movies so I will probably watch at least some of it. One of the things you sometimes hear at a key point in a movie is. “I’ve got good news and bad news.” This is true not only in movies but sometimes…
Traveling as I did the last two weeks provides the opportunity to observe and listen to other people. On February 2, after attending a three day gathering in Florida with American Baptist pastors, spouses, and denominational leaders, Jill and I settled into our seats on the plane that would bring us home. Seated in front…
Mark 5:1-20 NASB And they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, 3 and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able…