Preaching the Scriptures

  The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Mark 8:27-38   A Hard Teaching   James’ advice is certainly some of the least heeded in the entire Bible.   “Not many of you should become teachers…”   Considering there are approximately 3.5 million teachers in our country alone, not to mention professors, instructors, and faith leaders, I would suppose even the most ardent biblical literalists do not take this canonical counsel literally.   “Not many of you should become teachers…” is an interesting passage to hear on the very Sunday we begin Sunday School, on the day we bless students and teachers, on the day Mthr. Claire teaches the first session of our new class, The Road to Emmaus, at the beginning of a new year of Ribbon Training, and early in this sixth season of our Parish Bible Study.   Teaching, it seems, is much more popular in the parish than it is in the epistle of James.   Honestly, even Jesus doesn’t take James all that seriously. ...

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Romans 13:8-14 Love Your Neighbor Tomorrow will be the sixteenth anniversary of Welles Crowther's death. He was twenty-four years old the day he died; this year he would have celebrated his fortieth birthday. But instead he made a decision, a decision that froze him in time. Crowther worked in the South Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. He was an equities trader, a graduate of Boston College. Even folks who did not know his name, recognized him as the guy who always carried a red bandanna in his back pocket. He always carried it – ever since the day his dad gave it to him, when he was just six years old. After United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower, Welles called his mom – just to let her know that he was OK. And then from the 78 th floor, he started his dissent – but not alone. In the midst of the smoke and chaos, with his red bandanna tied around his face, trying to protect his nose and mo...