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...