I have been to a number of concerts in my life, but the ones that stand out the most are the acoustic concerts in small venues.

 One, in particular, has stuck with me over the years....

This morning I want to talk to you about two things:
Jesus…
       and community.

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life….” 

Jesus fed the 5,000
and then disappeared!

Gone…
            vanished…
      but the crowd didn’t notice until the next day….

Today we hear two miracle stories from the gospel of John.

In John’s gospel Jesus knows exactly who he is: the Son of God…
           but the disciples are still trying to figure things out.
Just like, perhaps, we’re still trying to figure things out….

I don’t have anything earth-shattering to share with you this morning,
            but I do have an invitation for you:
     “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.”

There is a line in today’s Scripture passages that jumped out to me.

These are the words Paul recounts that God said to him:
           “My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is made perfect in weakness….”

As I was reflecting on today’s gospel texts,
          and the story of the hemorrhaging woman, in particular,
       I wondered about the effects of isolation
on the human soul
and the human community….

As a child I was terrified of storms.

There was a huge, old oak tree outside my bedroom,
          and I was afraid a strong wind or lightning
would bring the tree crashing through the roof and onto my head….

The Kingdom of God is like….

The Kingdom of God is like a whole bunch of things, apparently! ….

Many years ago, when I was in my mid-20s and wasn’t afraid to open my front door to strangers, I heard a knock and opened the door to find several well-dressed folks standing on our front stoop….

“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

This past Wednesday, after sitting in my office all morning,
           I told Carolyn I was going to sit outside for a few minutes
      and read in preparation for my sermon this morning….

In today’s readings we are invited on a journey through the Trinity:
            Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifying Spirit…
                       The three in one and one in three.

As I was making choices from among the readings for today’s service,
          the reading from Ezekiel struck a chord within me.

We just read this passage at the Easter Vigil,
     yet when I read about the valley of dry bones a couple of weeks ago,
       a slew of images immediately popped into my head.

I once met a high school teacher, whose calling was to work with the kids who were struggling in school….

Jesus said to his disciples,

            “As the Father has loved me,

                        so I have loved you;

                                    abide in my love…..

Some years ago, I went on a silent retreat at the Trinity Episcopal Center in Salter Path, NC…right across the road from the ocean.

Having never been there before, I was struck by how many trees there were….

A friend of mine is a cardio-thoracic surgery PA.

He told me that one Good Friday, he began an operation by making an incision in the side of a patient’s chest….

Today’s scripture readings are readings which offer the hope of new life, and in the midst of the deep darkness that shrouds our world, words of new life are balm for our souls….

We gather together this evening just as three women gathered two thousand years ago. 

Just two days before,
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome
    had watched Jesus being crucified….

Today, Good Friday, we celebrate the death of Jesus.

That word “celebrate” may sound strange in this context…