Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is to point out the obvious. We often think of Jesus as showing us things that are the exact opposite of obvious—hidden things, perhaps spiritual things that we wouldn’t otherwise notice. But such is the human condition, that we have an amazing ability to hide from our […]
Ruth 1.1-18 “Leaving Moab” Ordinary 27B/November 4, 2018 Eastminster United Presbyterian Church Tom James The shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh last weekend was another reminder that anti-Semitism remains a factor in American life. Anti-Semitism has been fueled less by racial disgust than by fear of outsiders. It’s always difficult to understand […]
This Sunday we are going to look at the beginning of one of the most interesting stories in the Bible: the book of Ruth. I think we will find that, aside from the fact that it is just a really good story, there are lots of themes in it that are quite contemporary. For example, […]
A few years ago, I watched a music video by a contemporary Christian group. The song was called “Flawless.” The striking thing about the video was a series of short video shots of people who were afflicted with various kinds of problems. Their afflictions were typed out in bold letters on the screen, and they […]
Readers of this blog may have seen an announcement that my installation at Eastminster would be this upcoming Sunday afternoon. Please excuse the error! I’m getting ahead of myself, it seems. In reality, the installation service will be at 4:00 on Sunday, November 4th.
We all enjoy the perfect cup of coffee or the perfect dessert, or the perfect glass of wine (or whatever your taste may be). And we admire the perfect play in our favorite sport, or the perfect line in a speech or a fictional dialogue. But what does “perfect” mean in these examples, and how […]
Hebrews 5.1-10 “The Drive” Ordinary 29B/October 21, 2018 Eastminster United Presbyterian Church Tom James For about a year and a half, I used to travel up and down Interstate 75 several times a week between my home in Cincinnati, Ohio and the church I was serving as interim pastor in Dayton. It was an incredibly […]
What do you expect from Jesus? It’s not a question we think about very much, I’m sure, but it’s an important one! From the very beginning of Christianity, there has been a temptation to think of Jesus as a super-human figure, and, as we grow more aware of our fragilities and limitations, the longing for […]
Hebrews 4.1-16 “The Word Alive” Ordinary 28B/October 14, 2018 Eastminster United Presbyterian Church Tom James What is the perfect vacation? A few years ago, in the wake of my Father’s death and my own bout with an illness, I was determined to have the perfect getaway. My Mother got the idea of using my Dad’s […]
I was always taught that Sunday is a day of rest. It is hardly that anymore, for many of us, but God’s expectation that we experience rest has not changed. But what is “rest?” We often think of it simply as doing nothing or at least avoiding a lot things. This Sunday, focusing on Hebrews chapter […]
