Presby-Musings

It’s Resurrection Sunday!   It's time for us to get as excited as Presbyterians typically can and do the thing we do during Easter.  I'll go first, and you follow.  He Is Risen! He Is Risen, Indeed! Easter Sunday is when we celebrate the victory of life over death, light over the darkness, and hope that can spring eternal.   We are also invited to enter into an unbelievable story, one that is central to what it means to be a follower of Jesus.   Unbelievable Things That Are Actually True   1. You're bioluminescent. You glow.  2. Adding salt to pineapple makes it taste sweeter.  3. Fir trees can grow in your lungs.  4. Your heartbeat will sync to the rhythm of music you're listening to.  5. Mosquitos can tell which blood type you are and are more likely to bite someone with O-type than A-type.  6. The average cloud weighs over a million pounds.  7. 50% of pilots admit to falling asleep mid-flight. 29% of those say that when they...

Today is Good Friday, a day when Christians around the world commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus.  Known by various names—such as Great Friday, Holy Friday, and even Black Friday—the term "Good Friday" is believed to derive from the Middle English phrase "God's Friday," much like how the word "goodbye" evolved from "God be with you." As I reflect on the Gospel narratives of Jesus' Passion, I am often struck by Pontius Pilate’s reaction to certain members of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, bringing Jesus before him. He oscillates between his disdain for having to appease the Jewish religious leaders and his desire to maintain peace during Passover. Pilate's position was precarious. Tiberius Caesar cared only about ensuring the wealth and resources plundered from Judea continued flowing back to Rome. Failure to secure this could land Pilate in serious trouble. Adding to his turmoil, Pilate's wife approaches him,...

When they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, and gave it to them, and said, 'Take; this is my body.' Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, 'This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.' - Mark 14:22-24 Today is Maundy Thursday, a day of deep significance that invites us to pause and reflect on the powerful themes of love, sacrifice, and community inherent in the events we commemorate.  This day derives its name from the "mandate" that Jesus gave His disciples during His final moments with them: to "love one another as I have loved you."  There is an exquisite beauty to this command, underscored by a poignant act of humility and service as Jesus shared the Last Supper with His closest friends—the twelve disciples.  Jesus’ love for gatherings is evident throughout the Gospel narratives, where we see Him breaking bread, shar...

Today is Holy Wednesday, also known in the historic Church as Spy Wednesday, Good Wednesday, or Great Wednesday. For centuries, this day has served as a solemn reminder of Judas' conspiracy with the Sanhedrin (Jewish Religious Court) to betray Jesus and ultimately lead to His arrest. In the Gospel of John, Judas is depicted as dishonest, one who managed the group's finances but skimmed off money for his own benefit.  However, this characterization isn't echoed in the other Gospel accounts. For instance, in Luke's Gospel, it is noted that "Satan entered Judas," leading him to agree to betray Jesus for monetary gain. Interestingly, the first-century text The Gospel of Judas presents a different perspective, portraying Judas as a hero who undertook the daunting task of initiating Jesus' Passion through what looked like betrayal.  Early Christians who adhered to this text believed that when Jesus said to Judas at the Last Supper, "Do what you have to do,...

Today marks Holy Tuesday in Holy Week—often referred to as Fig Tuesday due to the significant scriptural passages highlighting this sacred day in the historic Church. The reference to figs comes from two Gospels, Matthew and Mark. To encapsulate the essence, I'll primarily draw from Mark's account. After Palm Sunday, Jesus journeys to Jerusalem with His disciples, having spent time with friends in Bethany. As they approach a fig tree, He finds it barren. In an unexpected turn, He curses the tree, saying, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” (Mark 11:14, NIV).  Notably, Mark clarifies that it was not the season for figs, adding depth to this curious moment. Following this, Jesus and His disciples arrive at the Temple, where He confronts the religious leaders head-on by overturning the money changers' tables and driving out the sellers of doves.  This dramatic act resonated deeply with the poor who had come to the Temple for Passover, forced to exchange their money at ...

Throughout Holy Week, we will journey alongside Jesus as He guides us toward the Cross, deepening our faith and understanding of His mission. According to the Gospel of Mark, following His triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Jesus returned to the Temple on Monday and instigated a significant disruption:   “On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers.” (Mark 11:15-17). So what exactly was Jesus doing in this moment? Theologians Marcus Borg and Dominic Crossan assert that He was staging a powerful prophetic teaching moment, reminiscent of the prophet Jeremiah, who had confronted worshippe...

It’s Palm Sunday! This day commemorates Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, the beginning of Holy Week, and the countdown to Easter.   We are nearing the end of Lent, a time when we hear the Palm Sunday story and have a chance to make a choice.  Today, we will read the story of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry because we need to remember why we are commemorating with palms...   But we’re going to read a little further in the story, and we're going to focus on a moment when Jesus weeps because he sees the end result of his people's stubbornness and pride: what will become of the holy city of Jerusalem.  Before we get there, though, I want to explore an interesting question:  Why Do We Cry? The Science of Crying—a history filled with mystery.  A few years ago, Time Magazine published a story focused on the science of tears, and a study by Dr. Michael Trimble that began with curiosity about people who never cry.   Charles Darwin declared 150 years...

It's almost the end of the season of Lent, and Easter is just a little over a week away.  We still have the story of Holy Week to journey through, but Lent's long and often arduous paths have nearly run their course.  Maybe you have been soldiering these past many weeks, deprived of coffee, chocolate, social media, meat on Fridays, or whatever you decided to relinquish for Lent. In that case, you might already be thinking about how it will feel to end that fast.  It's easy to feel some optimism as we close out Lent, and the last vestiges of winter that have begun to turn to Spring.  But there is a marked difference between feeling optimism and embracing hope.   God knows, I've done my best to be optimistic these past few months.  It hasn't been easy, but I've offered up the most optimistic epithets to share with friends and family, to do my best to be positive and project that positivity even as the world outside seems to be falling apart.   ...

As we take the final steps of the season of Lent, we are reminded of the profound importance of community in our faith journey. Lent is not merely a solitary endeavor; it is a season meant to be shared with others walking alongside us in their own spiritual growth. As Brian Zahnd beautifully states:  “At its best there’s nothing like the church... a place where the poor are fed and clothed, the sick are helped and healed, a place where the immigrant is welcomed, and the prisoner is given dignity. A place where everyone is saint and sinner... A place where we not only carry each other’s burdens, but when necessary carry each other, because, despite our vast differences in education and opportunity, opinions and politics, we are learning to love one another like Jesus loves us—unconditionally. This is the church I believe in."  This perspective invites us to reconsider our understanding of church, not as a place we attend, but as a vibrant community where we can grow, learn, and...

Recently, a church member asked me about a phrase I frequently used that they had always found helpful. They told me they hadn't heard me say it in some time and wondered whether that was intentional.   The phrase in question was "stumbling after Jesus," which I have employed for years to describe my own faith journey.   I couldn't remember the last time I had used that phrase, but assured them I still held it close to my heart.  The fact that I hadn't used it in a while in sermons or devotionals didn't mean I'd left it behind, but I did need to revisit it, especially now.   The fact is, I am stumbling after Jesus, and I always have.  I am far from perfect, and I've said and done many things in my life that I'm not proud of in the least.  And so, I want to rededicate myself to the premise that simple phrase upholds.   I also think that the end of Lent is a perfect time to do just that.  As we come to the end of the sacred seaso...

There are many fearful people in the world right now, and some days I am numbered among them; perhaps you are as well.   To be honest, we have good reason to be. Many of us have watched the money we have saved for years for retirement, college, etc., disappear over the last few months.  It's harder to sell or buy a house, and everything costs more than in recent years. Not to mention the fact that many of us have beloved friends who have been deemed as "other," because of their race, gender, sexual identity, and are now living in dread about what the future holds for them.   Our elected leaders seem more interested in retaining or expanding their own power than in the welfare of their constituents.  There is conflict all over the world, and that same sense of dread has become a global concern.   That's the reality of where we are at this point in history.   But it's also a moment in time when those of us who truly want to follow Jesus ha...

I try not to go to my local grocery store on Sundays.  I don't have reticence because it's Sunday and I'm trying to refrain from shopping on the "Sabbath," mind you.  I work on Sundays, so that's a moot point for me.  No, I don't like venturing into the grocery store on Sundays because it's usually lousy with people shopping for the week.   But yesterday was an exception because I ran out of coffee and dishwasher pods. As you might imagine, the latter was less important than the former.   The store was packed, and I texted a friend to whine a bit about the crowds, saying, "Everyone is at the H-E-B today."  She replied, "Tell them all I said 'hi'." I chuckled and looked around. I was thinking of something witty to reply to, and I got a good look at the people mobbing the checkout lines.  Everyone looked stressed and in a hurry.   I had a flash of compassion for all of them and something else.  I had this sense that if all of ...

It’s the Fifth Sunday of Lent  Lent is a season of preparation, reflection, and repentance.  It’s also a season when we can learn what it means to discover the Holiness of Hard Things, which is the title of the sermon series we've been working through for the season of Lent.  Today, we will read a story that appears in different forms in each Gospel.  And we’ll learn what it means to trust Jesus with our future.  But first, we’re going to do a little seminary…  Why do the Gospels have so many points of divergence? For example, there are four different versions of Jesus' baptism, the Sermon on the Mount, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection.   Each Gospel has its own perspective, but the Synoptic Gospels tend to follow the same chronological order and borrow from one another and other sources that we do not have access to.  But John's Gospel is completely different.  The chronology is off.  Jesus has a different kind of way about ...

It seems strange to defend observing Lent in the middle of Lent.  However, I'm wondering if some folks are still unconvinced or uninspired to spend the last couple of weeks before Easter in reflection, contemplation, repentance, and the like.  Look, I get that a lot is happening around us.  I get that worries, challenges, and probably an existential crisis or two are in our lives.  I've got my own to be sure.  That is why I believe it's all the more important to resist all of it and tend to our souls.   There's more at stake here than we realize, and now is not the time to start waffling on adhering to our traditions, practices, and disciplines.   The great reformer Martin Luther once said, "I pray for an hour each day, unless I am swamped, and then I pray three hours."  I paraphrased the quote a bit, but you get the idea.   Emerging generations need to experience this, too.  It's incumbent on us to teach them better and h...