Preaching the Scriptures

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson John 9:1-41 A Beautiful Mystery In her book, Christianity for the Rest of Us, Diana Butler Bass shares an experience writer and Episcopalian Phyllis Tickle had while speaking to a large crowd at one of our Southern cathedrals: “[After her talk,] during the question-and-answer period, someone asked what she thought about the Virgin Birth. As such questions...do, this one devolved into a discussion of whether the Virgin Birth was a matter of scientific and historical fact. As the discussion got more heated, Phyllis noticed that a young man, about seventeen years old, who was helping set up refreshments...had stopped his work to listen. She could see him...listening intently to the exchange. When she closed her lecture, he came up to talk with her privately. 'Ma'am,' he said politely, 'there's something I don't understand.' In her...generous way, Phyllis asked him, 'What don't you understand?' She

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson John 4:5-42 Desire This is a story about desire.   It's about those things that desire drives us to do – transgress boundaries, take chances.   The story begins with a basic human need – thirst: the desire for water.   Jesus was thirsty.   And this woman has a bucket.   And a well.   And the well is deep and full of water.   Disregarding her ethnicity and gender, or perhaps disregarding his own ethnicity and gender, Jesus asks for a drink.   And in that moment, the woman – unnamed in this story – is very much aware of her ethnicity and gender, or perhaps is very much aware of his ethnicity and gender.   None of this was supposed to happen.   A Jew wanders into Samaritan territory – into Sychar.   A Jew wanders into Palestinian territory – into the West Bank.    A man walks into the “ wrong ” neighborhood and drinks from the wrong water fountain.   Someone is seen fraternizing with the enemy.   A 1 st   century rabbi strikes