Preaching the Scriptures

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Matthew 10:24-39 The Threat of Love A man against his father, A daughter against her mother, A daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; One's foes will be members of one's own household. Jesus and his disturbing vision of a dystopian future – a future in which division would bore its way even into the foundations of the family unit, a future in which generations would clash over allegiances and values. It is a grim fantasy indeed. Fortunately, two-thousand years of steady progress finds us in a 21 st century utopia in which such talk of division can scarcely be found in the news or on social media or around a family's dinner table. We, so many years removed from Jesus' words, are, I'm sure, relieved to find our selves in the comfortable role of voyeur, unaffected outsiders curiously glimpsing the struggles of the 1 st century faithful. It must have been hard. It is almost impossible for us to imagine, in ...

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Acts 2:1-21 & John 20:19-23 No Birds. Just Wind. It's Pentecost. And I guess I thought there would be more birds. I mean, this is the Holy Spirit's big day and during the Spirit's very first, and most memorable, appearance in the Gospel, at the baptism of Jesus, the Spirit floated down from the heavens dressed as a bird. That was the first impression and, I gotta say, it really stuck. I've seen the religious art of the middle ages, probably you have too; the Trinity is always Old Man, Young Man, and white bird. I've sang those good bird-centric Pentecost Holy Spirit Hymns: Like the murmur of the dove's song, like the challenge of her flight. Bird. Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove. Bird. Sweet Holy Spirit, Sweet Heavenly Dove, stay right here with us, filling us with your love. Bird. I mean, dress like an animal once and no one will ever let you forget it. Just ask Sean Spicer. Even our b...

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Acts 1:6-14 Look Lower Well, if we learned one thing from Acts today, it is this: some angels cannot read a room. These snarky angels are pretty insensitive. While the disciples stand by, all dazed and heartbroken, these two men in white robes suddenly appear, not to console them, but to challenge them: “Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?” The angels know why, at least they should. The disciples' eyes are glued to the very spot in the heavens that just devoured Jesus and his cloud car. And the disciples are trying to keep their eyes on Jesus. See, that has been a pretty difficult task in recent weeks. They already lost him once; they did not want to do that again. But now he is out of sight, gone – for the second time in just six weeks. Once again they were powerless to stop him. And now all they have left is a limitless, empty sky. The second goodbye stinging their eyes even as the first wounds are still fresh in t...

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson John 14:1-14 A Funeral Text Do not let your hearts be troubled. In my father’s house there are many dwelling places. I go to prepare a place for you…so that where I am, there you may be also. I’ve read, heard, pondered, proclaimed, and preached this gospel passage so many times I’ve lost count. This Gospel is now for me about grieving families and ashes under the funeral pall. It is about saying goodbye and holding desperately to hope. This Gospel is to me “funeral” every bit as much as 1 Corinthians 13 is weddings. But this week, as I considered this Gospel, I could only think about one funeral: my grandpa’s funeral. His funeral was Friday – just two days ago – in Zanesville, OH. And my grandma asked me to officiate and preach. And so this time, this time I read and pondered this Gospel, sitting on planes and waiting in airports – traveling to bury my grandpa, and then returning back home to the loving support of my wife and kid...

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Acts 2:42-47 After Pentecost It was a moment like no other moment. You, I'm sure, remember the story; it is after all quite memorable. It started with that rushing wind. And then there were the flames of fire dancing on the heads of those patient followers of Jesus – those followers who stuck with Jesus through death, resurrection, and ascension and were then even willing to live in a one-room loft in first century Palestine with 119 other people and no shower for what turned out to be a week and a half. And then came the languages. A bunch of hillbilly Galileans spontaneously blossoming into erudite language scholars so enthusiastic about their newfound linguistic abilities that the crowds beyond that door thought them the most impressive drunks they had ever encountered. And as if that Spirit-ed day were not memorable enough, a fisherman best known by his Holy Week betrayal and his many monikers – Simon or Peter or Simon Peter...

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Luke 24:13-35 An Intimate Stranger One of the things that makes Easter so popular is that it is so familiar. Everyone knows what to expect: the aisles at Target fill with plastic grass and chocolate bunnies; circulars advertise great deals on pastel colored clothing; the church smells like lilies and brass musicians blast out the opening chords of “Jesus Christ is risen today.” On Easter the pews are full and the Alleluias hearty. Even the scripture readings are predictable. Unlike those Ordinary Sundays of the summer when Jesus' whereabouts and agenda are all over the map – some weeks it's a healing, others a parable, sometimes even an uncomfortable confrontation – on Easter we know exactly where Jesus is and what he is doing. He's in that garden and he is risen. It is always the same. It is ever familiar. Every Easter Sunday greets us with the same gospel story. We always follow Mary Magdalene to the tomb ea...

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson John 20:1-18 The Same Spirit Dwells in You In one of the few scriptures we didn't read this morning, the Apostle Paul writes, to a newborn Christian community, living in the shadows of the same powerful Empire that put to death their Lord Jesus, to a fledgling community struggling to survive: “The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you.” And here you sit today, descendants of those first Christians; and I want you to know: this message, Paul's message, is meant for you too. The very same Spirit of the living God, the same Spirit that empowered the baby Church, the same Spirit that spoke life into that dark cave, into that lifeless tomb, that same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you. You are housing resurrection power. Can you feel it? You are breathing the breath of God. What you are breathing in and out, holding in your lungs, is as ancient as Creation. In the beginning, before...