This morning it is very fortunate that our Psalm is the familiar 23rd Psalm. It is also not so fortunate that our Psalm is the familiar 23rd Psalm. Both ways of looking at it speak to our challenge with the Covid 19 strain of the Coronavirus. I’ll get to both. But first let me start with why we are fortunate to be reading this particular Psalm on this particular Sunday. This is the first Sunday in my 40+ years of ministry that worship has been closed down due to a worldwide pandemic. It is also the very first time that I have participated in a live-streamed service. It is not only strange not to be together, but it is also discomforting. Being together, hearing the word, receiving the s
Today’s gospel is from St. John. It can be a lot to digest. St. Augustine chose an eagle to represent St. John because he felt the theology of the fourth gospel soured so high above the other gospels. However, sometimes John can get so high up that it is difficult for hear it or for preachers to bring it down to earth. Today’s gospel is like that to some extent. There is a philosophical/theological discussion going on. Do you listen to scripture like I do sometimes? Sometimes I’ll just let the words go by without paying too much attention to them until there is something that pricks my ears when I stop daydreaming and start paying more attention. There are two such places in today’s gos
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