This is a concluding reflection for the class “Being Held by the Shepherd” (John 11:6, 17-37), part of the Lenten series “Beholding the Lamb, Being Held by the Shepherd: Exploring the Question of Suffering in the Gospel of John” taught at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church on Sunday March 4, 2012. (Lesson based on paper written […]

Dear Right Reverend J. Jon Bruno, I hope this Ember letter finds you well during this season of Lent. I have been trying to prepare my heart and soul for the celebration of the resurrection by fasting once a week and feasting on the words of Anglo-Catholic author Evelyn Underhill.[1] I have been thinking a […]

This is a concluding reflection for the class “Beholding the Lamb” (John 1:29-39), part of the Lenten series “Beholding the Lamb, Being Held by the Shepherd: Exploring the Question of Suffering in the Gospel of John” taught at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church on Sunday February 26, 2012. When we understand that Christ enters into our […]

This is a concluding reflection for the class “Throwing Branches into the Fire: Confronting Anti-Judaism in John and Anti-Semitism in Church” (John 9:1-7, 38-41), part of the Lenten series “Beholding the Lamb, Being Held by the Shepherd: Exploring the Question of Suffering in the Gospel of John” taught at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church on Sunday […]

This is a concluding reflection for the class “Asking the Question” (John 9:1-7, 38-41), part of the Lenten series “Beholding the Lamb, Being Held by the Shepherd: Exploring the Question of Suffering in the Gospel of John” taught at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church on Sunday February 12, 2012. “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his […]

This is a draft of a paper to be presented at the Engaging Particularities Conference (“Engaging Particularities X: New Directions in Comparative Theology, Theology of Religions, Interreligious Dialogue, and Missiology”) at Boston College on April 1, 2012. Rabbi Norman Lamm, the current president of Yeshiva University in New York, tells of a time when he […]

Several years ago, I wrote a paper comparing the lyrics of Leonard Cohen with the Ketuvim (the portion of the Jewish Bible including the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, 1 and 2 Chronicles). Cohen’s passing has moved me to revisit my “old ideas” about one of my […]

Listen to sermon here: Evangelizing in God’s First Language Readings for the Third Sunday after Epiphany (Year B) Jonah 3:1-5, 10 Psalm 62:6-14 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Mark 1:14-20 This sermon was preached at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in Berkeley CA on January 22, 2012. “For God alone my soul in silence waits; truly, my hope […]

Readings for the First Sunday after Christmas Isaiah 61:10-62:3 Psalm 147 Galatians 3:23-25. 4:4-7 John 1:1-18 This sermon was preached at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in Berkeley CA on January 1, 2012. (Watch a vlog of this sermon here) Happy New Year! This morning is the first morning of 2012. And I can’t think of […]

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 Romans 16:25-27 Luke 1:26-38 The Collect: Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity […]