John 8:31-36

Gloria was one of the homebound members I visited in a previous parish. She had lived on her own most of her life, a career woman in the financial world in an era when it was dominated by men. She had many friends and travel partners and a full life. But as she aged, Gloria’s world got smaller. She feared the new neighbors moving into her area. She was mistrustful of other people’s help, including her only relative, a nephew, who occasionally stopped by. The local news with its constant refrain of violence made her feel uneasy about living alone. She moved into a retirement community, but she still didn’t feel safe.

But Gloria loved receiving the

Mark 10:35-45

When I was a seminarian at Yale Divinity School, I heard the famous spiritual writer Henri Nouwen preach on this gospel lesson. The story goes like this:

Jesus had just finished telling his disciples for the third time that he would be handed over to the authorities, suffer death, and rise again. Two of his disciples, James and John, take the opportunity to ask Jesus for prime positions in what they presumed would be his kingdom. “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” It was such a daft moment, inappropriate in the situation. Jesus, seeing that they have completely missed the point, tells them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are

Mark 9:38-50

When my kids were teenagers, they always came in the house and kicked off their shoes at the door. They didn’t necessarily return to put those back on, so the pile grew. Throw in some high school friends and a few church musicians, and you have a mountain of shoes. And what do you think happened when I came home?? I tripped over the pile.

So of course, the shoe pile is the first thing I think of when I hear the phrase, “stumbling block.” I got angry about the shoe pile, but Jesus seems uncharacteristically harsh: “If any of you [disciples] put a stumbling block

before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great

Mark 9:30-37

Elaine was a church goer; her husband wasn’t. She had two active boys under the age of three, and she wanted them raised in the church. But Elaine was worried about their behavior—they were a handful. How would people accept them?

Elaine finally took the plunge and visited a church nearby. Her boys were predictably squirrelly—the sticker book she had brought didn’t hold their attention beyond the 1st lesson and the cheerios spilled on the floor. They were especially noisy during the sermon, and Elaine got a few “looks”—they had disturbed others around her.

Red-faced, Elaine tried to hurry out the door after worship when an older woman stopped her.

Mark 8:27-38

When my son Joel was four years old, he started cello lessons. Joel had great musical aptitude, but he wasn’t much for practicing. His instruction was the Suzuki method, which utilizes parents to help the student practice. But I spent most of my time trying to get Joel to focus. I literally stood on my head one day to get him to play “French Folk Song.”

Parenthood is full of such demands: sleepless nights, hours in the car, managing the family calendar. We put our own goals aside to pay for childcare, activities, college. It’s a sacrifice of time, money, and brain space.

Parenthood isn’t the only thing in life that demands self-denial:

Mark 7:1-23

A couple of weeks ago I made a trip to the podiatrist. It was a pretty typical visit: conversation with the nurse, x-rays, and an examination from the doctor. I’d joked with the nurse about walking down the hall in my bare feet—was it ok to go without shoes? I think it’s a good hygiene day, I said.

That evening, I took off my sandals and looked at the bottom of my feet. They were filthy! How did that happen? I wondered. Was I walking outside without my shoes on? Are my floors that dirty? Then I remembered: Messy Games. The

John 6:56-69

For years, doctors have told me I should do weight-bearing exercise, or resistance training. Resistance training has a number of health benefits. It strengthens your heart and reduces risk of stroke. It strengthens ligaments and improves balance. It shifts fat to muscle and increases your mental health. But for me the salient benefit is strengthening my bones, preventing osteoporosis. So when I am in yoga class, muscles straining, holding a pose way too long, I can smile and be grateful: I’m resistance training, and it’s good for me.

But there are some forms of

“Who touched me” is about guarding your personal space, your integrity. Like the siblings who draw a line down the middle in the backseat of the car, like no man’s land in combat, these are fighting words.

In Jesus’ day, they were fighting words, too, but for slightly