James Sledge
The kingdom is like...
"The kingdom of heaven is like... The kingdom of heaven is like... The kingdom of heaven is like..." so says Jesus....
Salt, light and introverted congregations
For a variety of reasons, Christian faith in America tends to be a private and personal thing. Faith is what we believe, and that can be safely tucked away in our brain somewhere. In th...
Blame the messenger
It has not happened all that often, but on occasions someone has been upset enough with a sermon I've preached to call me up and complain.
God intrudes
Graham Standish wrote in one of his books about the typical church
meeting. The committee or governing board gathers. Someone offers a
...
Christ within
I think it is easy for modern people to read Paul and surmise that he
wishes we did not have to deal with physical bodies. To those of us
...
Not my people
"May I continue to find favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your
...
Pagans at the party
Growing up in the church, I knew all about the three wise men (although the
Bible doesn't actually say how many magi were there). But I'm not sure I
...
Gratitude and anxiety
Giving thanks is a fundamental act of faith. The Psalms are filled with
calls the give thanks and offer thanksgiving. "O Give thanks to the
...
Spiritual hiccups: Cast into hell
I readily admit that readings such as today's gospel make me a bit
uncomfortable. When Jesus starts talking about being "cast into hell"
...
Spiritual presence
What must it have been like to encounter the earthly Jesus, to meet him
as he went about his ministry? When the gospels attempt to share
something of this with us, they are no doubt hindered by the
impossibility of rendering such an experience in words. But a common
refrain in the gospels describes Jesus as "speaking with authority."