Tag: christianity

  • Preaching Paths May 24 2026

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The text this Pentecost Sunday from ch 2 of The Acts of the Apostles falls into three sections. First, we witness the inrush of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ followers, who have been praying together in an upper room in Jerusalem on the Jewish feast called Pentecost.…

  • Sunday,31st May;Pentecost Sunday, 24th May, & 17th May 2026, Easter 7 (3 entries)

    Sunday, 31st May 2026 St Paul, 2 Cor. 13: 11-13 13:11 Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 13:12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.…

  • Preaching Paths 10 May 2026

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s reading, John 14:15-21, is a continuation of Jesus’ parting words to his followers. Much of the vocabulary is familiar from previous verses. Yet, this section presents a significant new element: a dynamic of mutual and multidirectional love connecting Jesus, the Father, and Jesus’ followers. This current…

  • Preaching Paths 3 May 2026

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary John 14 belongs to the collection of sayings of Jesus known as the “Farewell Discourses” (John 13-17). In Eastertide, today’s text (Jn 14:1-14) speaks of the new life that believers in the Risen Lord experience. The text should be read in its entirety in worship; yet, given…

  • 19th April 2026, Easter 3, Year A

    Luke 24:13-3524:13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 24:14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 24:15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 24:16 but their eyes were…

  • 12th April 2026, Eastertide 2A

     John 20:19-31 Beholding the wounds of the risen Christ 20:19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20:20 After he said this, he…

  • Preaching Paths 29 March 2026  Liturgy of the Passion

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary In settings where one can expect that many congregations will not attend Holy Week services, especially Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, both Mt 20:1-11 (the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem) as well as the Passion narrative, should be read in the service. Easter means little if…

  • Sunday, 22nd March 2026,Lent 5 & 15th March 2026, Lent 4

    Sunday, 22nd March 2026, Lent 5 John 11:1-45 The raising of Lazarus 11:1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 11:2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 11:3 So…

  • Preaching Paths 8 March 2026

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The standard interpretation of Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well presents the woman as an incorrigible “repeat offender.”  Jesus observes that she has “had five husbands,” and “the man you have is not your husband” (v 18). Modern readers often assume that this woman…

  • Preaching Paths  1 March 2026

     Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological  Seminary                   The encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus, a leading Jerusalem Pharisee, is presented as a dialogue—even a sort of interview. Nicodemus’s queries are so brief as to function simply as prompts for sections of Jesus’ discourse, the first of several such discourses in John’s gospel.                   In…