Irreverently Reverend

  Pentecost When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.  2  And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  3  Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.  4  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 5  Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem.  6  And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.  7  Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?  8  And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?  9  Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,  10 ...

  Seventh Sunday of Easter 9  If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son.  10  Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.  11  And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  12  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.   (ESV)               I’ll admit, this has not been my favorite passage to work on unpacking.   It’s short, it’s repetitive, and it shades a bit too closely to...

  Fourth Sunday of Easter 16  This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.  17  If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?  18  Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19  This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence:  20  If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.  21  Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God  22  and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.  23  And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one ano...

  Fourth Sunday after Epiphany “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me.  7  And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’  8  And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’  9  Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.  10  And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’  11  And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus. 12  “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,  13 ...