Hermetic Homiletics

24 April 2005

The lectionary: Fifth Sunday in Easter

So many directions to go with these passages. Some brief thoughts:

Acts 1.55-60
The need for forgiveness and our call to forgive.

1 Peter 2.2-10
Work with the concept of “a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ” as living lives of self-sacrifice for the sake of others (ref. Stephen’s martyrdom)

Psalm 31.1-5, 15-16
“Into your hand I commit my spirit”: Jesus’ words on the cross, echoed by Stephen.

John 14.1-14
“Belief” in the Gospel of John is emphasized as an “incarnational” reality, not a checklist of cognitive assertions. Tied in with “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places,” what does the Gospel of John have to say about the relationship of other religions to “eternal/abundant life”?

I suspect that I will probably work with the Acts passage and discuss the effect that forgiveness has in our lives. That will probably resonate better with where this particular congregation is right now.

posted by irreverance @ 10:52 PM