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Psalm 118 has been and is an extraordinarily important psalm in the history of Judaism and Christianity. It was Martin Luther’s favorite — “My own beloved psalm,” as he put it. Luther considered verse 17 (...)

“When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week … ” That day, of course, was a day like no other. After the awful reality of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial on (...)

Luke has kept us waiting so long for the fulfillment of this plot point that we may have forgotten we were waiting for it at all. So, let’s start by backing up and rediscovering the (...)

This week’s passage includes the brief introduction to Peter’s Pentecost sermon (2:14a), the concluding statement of the sermon (2:36), and the subsequent response of his audience (2:37-41). It both provides us with the story of (...)

We arrive once again at “Good Shepherd Sunday,” the fourth Sunday of Easter. The focus of this portion of John 10, however, is on Jesus as the door or gate of the sheepfold. Admittedly, the (...)

Liturgically sensitive preachers will immediately take note that the 4th Sunday of Easter in the Revised Common Lectionary is always “Good Shepherd Sunday” and perhaps will then let out an audible sigh of despair. It’s (...)

Liturgical observances of Pentecost are informed almost entirely by the familiar story in Acts 2, with images of fire, prayers offered in multiple languages, and attention to the church’s prophetic vocation.1 “The Johannine Pentecost,” as this (...)

This alternative gospel text, John 7:37-39, may seem a strange choice for Pentecost Sunday. [Find commentaries on the main gospel reading, John 20:19-23, by Matt Skinner (2011) and Karoline Lewis (2008).] After all, it takes place (...)

This is a funny sort of episode to kick off a book all about mission. The founder tells his followers to spread the word across the entire face of the earth, but then he vanishes (...)

Death is never an easy reality to face. It is often unexpected, but some of the most challenging situations arise when a group knows that a beloved member of their community will die. Such a (...)