Introspective Sheppardese

Sermon on Easter Sunday March 27, 2016 (John 20:1-18)  Have you noticed spring is here! The grass turns green and little chicks are chirping very loud. What a difference from winter! In winter the panoramic picture is gray. Contrary to winter, spring brings bright colors in flowers blooming and leaves start to grow populating the branches on the trees. We feel alive, even the colors we choose to wear are not black but bright. In today’s gospel, Mary is revealed as the first witness of Jesus’ resurrection. She was one of Jesus’ disciples and dearest friends. But we would think that he would grant this honor to one of the inner-circle disciples or to his mother.   But God's ways are not our ways.   We would not have picked Mary Magdalene or Mary of Magdala for this honor, but neither would we have picked devious Jacob to carry on the promise of a great nation, or boy David to get rid of the giant, or oppressor Saul to become missionary Paul.   God calls wh...

Fifth Sunday in Lent 2016 Year C In Jesus' story, the landowner is God and the tenants are the people of Israel.   This is the story of Israel.   God brought the Israelites out of Egypt and made them his people.   God made the Israelites into a nation.   God told the Israelites how he wanted them to behave, but he left them lots of freedom.   What a God! It’s important to remember that this parable was given specifically to the religious leaders of Israel. The messengers represent the Old Testament prophets. God sent numerous prophets to Israel to warn them of the dangers of rejecting God authority over their lives. Most of the prophets were abused and hated when they were alive. - Elijah was threatened by a wicked queen, - Jeremiah was thrown into a pit to die, and - Amos was scorned and ridiculed. The messages of the prophets were never valued until years after they died. Someone once said, “Prophets, poets, and pigs have one thing in comm...

                                                                                   Last Epiphany Sunday February 7th, 2016 Year C This event in the life of Jesus is described through the synoptic gospels. We learned through this magnificent event that Jesus is the bridge between heaven and earth.   This gospel describes how Jesus took Peter, James and John to the top of the mountain. How many of you have climbed up a mountain, or a hill? How is the vision from up there?  I bet is magnificent. You can breath clean air, and it does provoke such a powerful feeling.   The kind of feeling that connects us with God. I will call it a “God thing”. That thing we cannot express with words because we are overwhelmed by its magnificence. Jesus gave his inner circle the m...