Listening closely to the hymns of Palm Sunday, there’s one theme – among many – that reappears. It can be found the 2nd Apolytikion: “We were buried with you through baptism…and thus by your resurrection, we have been granted immortal
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Shouting Hosanna!
The Murderous Easter Bunny!
On Facebook today, there was some Medieval click bait. Trapped by my own curiosity, I click on the link to find photos of Medieval manuscripts. In these photos, the “Easter Bunny” was murdering people. “Wow!” I thought to myself. Finally,
Read moreIt Is Finished
When Jesus was hanging on the cross, and after he had received the vinegar, he said, “τετέλεσται” – “It is finished.” But what does this mean? What, exactly, is finished? (Reflections on Good Friday)
Read moreAbandoned by God?
Abandonment. This is probably one of our greatest fears. As children, we don’t want to be abandoned by our parents. As adults, we fear that we’ll be abandoned by our spouses or our friends. And, in our old age, we
Read moreBelief and Trust
In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus say, “All things are possible for the one who has faith.” We like to believe that this means that if we put enough mental effort into something, or if we believe something hard or
Read moreCross: Life not Sacrifice
For most of us, the cross is seen at best as a decorative symbol, or at worst as an instrument of torture. But now – at the midpoint of Lent – the cross is presented as an image of refreshment
Read moreTo Be or Not to Be… Yourself
In our world, we’re told to “be yourself.” In fact, this is probably the 21st-century American mantra. And it plays itself out in all sorts of ways. For some, it leads them on specific career paths. For others, it leads
Read moreHaving the End in Sight
This past week we’ve seen the fallout of yet another school shooting. Everyone agrees that they must end. But how? Many people are advocating for stricter gun laws. Others think teachers should be armed. And some believe we need to
Read moreForgive or Die
In January, it was good to own stock. Prices soared and, recently, the Dow hit a record high. For many of us, this is where we place our trust: it’s our financial security, our 401(k) retirement, our indication of good
Read moreTo Be or Not to Be… a Loyal Citizen
We live in a time of nationalism. Red, white, and blue flow through our veins. Recently, we had a national debate: is it patriotic to protest racial inequalities in America by kneeling during the Star Spangled Banner, or is it
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