shanethetheologian's Blog

Epistle. Hebrews 9:11-15 Gospel. John 8:46-59 The Gospel is building on a sequence of dialogue that begins several paragraphs prior. Jesus has presented a series of experiential and philosophical arguments that attest to his identity as a God man. Our reading picks up with an argument based on...

Collect. Let thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Epistle. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I...

Epistle. 1 John 4:7-21 Gospel. Luke 16:19-31 The Gospel appointed for today is an old familiar text. I've preached on it before and I've heard many sermons drawn from it. I've also heard entire dogmatic systems built from it addressing the life of the dead. I don't think that is the most...

Epistle: 2 Peter 1:13-18 Gospel: Luke 9:28-36 Anytime the three synoptic Evangelists record the same event, it is worthy of special attention. The Transfiguration is such an event, made even more notable by the closeness of the narrative across authors. The Transfiguration is the seminal...

The festal period of the church year is closing. We have celebrated Holy Week and Easter, the Ascension has passed, and now we come to Pentecost. Next week will be Trinity Sunday and then we will pass into the comfortable, repetitive rhythm of Trinitytide, or ordinary time. Our spiritual life...

Advent 2 Romans 15:4-13, Luke 21:25-33 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” So begins the epistle, and the reading ends on this same note: hope. In fact, Paul uses the word 'hope'...

Holy Cross Day 14 September The cross on which our Lord was crucified has become the universal symbol for Christianity, replacing the fish symbol of the early church, though the latter has been revived in recent times. After the end of the persecution era, early in the fourth century...

The Psalter discusses worship by answering the various interrogative questions – who, where, why, how – with keen insight, especially in the 138th Psalm, where David gives a theology of worship. Comparing the 138th Psalm with the Songs of degrees or ascents, Psalms 120-134, will reveal to the...

A question I was asked to respond to in seminary recently was, essentially: if John was an eyewitness to the Transfiguration, why does he not record the event in his Gospel? Upon thinking through this and reading the Transfiguration pericope, I came to the conclusion that the key lies in St...

It occurred to me that the great feasts of Easter and Pentecost both occur after periods of confusion. In the case of Easter, we see the disciples quite perplexed, disheartened even, that Jesus has just died. Then he appears risen and this leads to a new period of confusion that they are still...

"Peace" Sweet Peace, where dost thou dwell? I humbly crave, Let me once know. I sought thee in a secret cave, And ask'd if Peace were there. A hollow winde did seem to answer, No: Go seek elsewhere. I did; and going did a rainbow note: Surely, thought I, This is the lace of Peaces coat: I will...