Welcome to Holy Textures, Year C, Season of Easter

Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary.

My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation.

As usual with the Season of Easter, we get to spend time with the Gospel of John.

I like to think of John as like a good day at the spa: Soaking in the swirling eddies and quiet back pools of his repetitive, non-sequitur, images and stories.

John wants us to really GET the life that is Jesus.

What could be more refreshing than that?

At dawn, the women came to the tomb

Easter Vigil
April 20, 2019
Luke 24:1-12 
"This lesson contains no resurrection. But this lesson also contains trusting the amazing void."
Sermon: "To be added."

   

But Mary stayed weeping outside the tomb

Easter Day
April 21, 2019
John 20:1-18, Alternate Reading A 
"As the Word descended from the Father and became flesh at the start of John's Gospel, Mary is experiencing the reverse process - of the flesh becoming Word."
Sermon: "The Rising."

   

At dawn, the women came to the tomb

Luke 24:1-12, Alternate Reading B 
"This lesson contains no resurrection. But this lesson also contains trusting the amazing void."
Sermon: "To be added."

   

   

Jesus himself came near and went with them

Easter Evening
April 21, 2019
Luke 24:13-49  
"The details reported in Luke make it very clear that it was the same Jesus who was crucified who is now resurrected. And they are not seeing a ghost. However, Jesus-who-died-on-the-cross-and-is-now-resurrected has not come back simply to take up his old job. He now says: Over to you."
Sermon: "Road Trips."

Reach out your hand and put it in my side

Easter 2
April 28, 2019
John 20:19-31 
"John doesn't care what we see with our eyeballs. He wants us to SEE with our inner eye who Jesus really is. That is why he has written these signs for us. That in SEEing, we might believe; and in believing, we might have the life that is in Jesus."  
Sermon: "Can We Trust God?"

   

They saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread

Easter 3
May 5, 2019
John 21:1-19
"What I see in this encounter is that Jesus twice offers Peter the opportunity to again over promise as he did at the last supper (I will NEVER deny you). And so, when Jesus asks Peter for the third time, "Do you love me?" Jesus uses "philios." In effect, accepting Peter's offer of friendship."
Sermon: "The BBQ on the Beach."

My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me

Easter 4
May 12, 2019
John 10:22-30 
"The challenge for most mainline Christians is not following Jesus. We've been taught pretty well about that. The challenge for us is recognizing Jesus' voice."
Sermon: "The Shepherd."

   

I give you a new commandment

Easter 5
May 19, 2019
John 13:31-35 
"There are at least two challenges in Jesus' commandment, 'Love one another as I have loved you.' One is to deeply and correctly discern how Jesus loves. And the other is to let the 'you' be 'me' - 'I love you as Jesus loves me.'"
Sermon: "To be added."

The Holy Spirit will teach you everything

Easter 6
May 26, 2019
John 14:23-29, Alternate Reading A 
"There are probably at least 3 ways to misunderstand John. One is to treat each of: following, loving, and abiding; as if they were separate and distinct pieces. These things are all of a whole; you cannot selectively choose only one part: 'I'll have the love of Jesus please, but hold the keeping the commandments.'"
Sermon: "To be added."

He took up his mat and began to walk

John 5:1-9, Alternate Reading B 
"Without Verses 11-20, we might not realize that Verses 1-9 are a high-stakes sign performed by Jesus to show the work that the Father is doing: WORK the Father is doing - even on the Sabbath day of REST."
Sermon: "To be added."

   

   

Lifting his hands, he blessed them

Ascension Day
May 30, 2019
Luke 24:44-53 
"And as if to emphasize that this blessing of his disciples has not been finished - is still on-going - Luke tells us that: While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. (Luke 24:51) Might it not be that even in heaven Jesus-now-resurrected is still blessing his disciples?"
Sermon: "Discernment."

That they may all be one

Easter 7
June 2, 2019
John 17:20-26 
"This fully devoted relationship is what John means by 'love.' It is by abiding in this love, and being completely one that outsiders may truly know that indeed Jesus was sent by the Father."
Sermon: "The Nature of the Church."

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit

Pentecost Sunday
June 9, 2019
Acts 2:1-21  
"We might all hear the same words - each in our own language - but we will not all hear and understand exactly the same meaning. The problem with life, and faith, and following Jesus is always: What does this mean?"
Sermon: "All We Need Is Love."

   

The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name

John 14:8-17, (25-27)
"Those who are bonded into Jesus will know a Truthful Spirit who will (Verse 26): 'Teach you everything; and remind you of all that I have said to you.' We, who like Philip, have been with Jesus all this time, and still do not know him, should receive this promise with great joy and thanksgiving at Jesus' generosity. We have not been left alone." 
Sermon: "To be added."

   

And here are key dates for 2019.

Key liturgical dates 2019