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“Where is Jesus and what is he up to?” a sermon for the 5th SUNDAY OF EASTER (18 May 2025)

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     Where’s Jesus?   In 1893, Oscar Wilde wrote a one-act play called Salome .   Here is an excerpt, where the dialogue takes place in the court of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee.   The biblical background for this scene is Lk. 9.1-9 : “Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal… They departed and went through the villages, bringing the good news…   Now Herod the ruler heard about all that had taken place, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen. Herod said, “John I beheaded; but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he tried to see him .”   Salome (1893) HEROD Concerning whom then did he speak? FIRST NAZARENE Concerning Messiah,...
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“The day God ruined Jeremiah’s life”

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  Texts: Psalm 139; Jeremiah 1.1-5, 16.1-13, 20.7-18      We often have a sentimental attitude about the Psalmist’s words: “…it was you who formed my inward parts;     you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Ps. 139.13-14) However, when similar language is used to describe Jeremiah’s calling to be a prophet (Jer. 1.4-5), it is anything but an attempt on God’s part to boost Jeremiah’s self-esteem.   Au contraire , these divine words, when used in Jeremiah, take on a great deal of ambiguity (for us).   We often have the habit of speaking of our vocation, our “calling” in life, as if God was a celestial guidance counselor.   Again, to grasp what is going on in the first chapter of the book of Jeremiah, we must disabuse ourselves of such modern, Western affectations.   An underlying current in a lot of Western religious thinking is that God is part of our plan,...
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Detention diary, day 2: “Good Friday behind bars”

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       Lent 2025, day 39.   It wasn’t your typical Good Friday service.   The 15 detainees arrived in the visiting area in waves.   Finally, everyone was assembled and a motley crew began to (ostensibly) commemorate the death of Jesus of Nazareth – Muslims, Sikhs and Christians together, from all around the globe.   Indeed, during this time of prayer and recollection, each individual had a very different experience and understood something uniquely personal.   Isaiah 53 was read in French, the Psalm in English and St. John’s passion narrative in Spanish.   During the “Laments of Christ against his faithless church” [1] , we sung the refrain, “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom”.   We ended this liturgical moment by forming a circle, joining hands and offering spontaneous prayers of gratitude to Christ and supplications for each other, each pray-er addressing his God in his language.      Follow...
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