Pentecost Sunday, June 4 (Year A) Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23

Being filled with the Holy Spirit can be a rather scary thing. It cares little for our prejudices, opinions, fears and personal preferences, and is prone to take us where we do not want to go and ask us to do things from which we shrink in fear.

Ascension of the Lord, May 28 (Year A) Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20

Where did Jesus go when He ascended? Where is God? Physics, astronomy and other branches of science have shown the old spatial notion of God and the heavens to be inadequate. God is not “up there” or in any particular place, but equally present throughout the universe.

Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 21 (Year A) Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; Psalm 66; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21

The Samaritans were depicted in a positive light throughout the New Testament, despite the tension and negative feelings between them and mainstream Jews.

Fifth Sunday of Easter, May 14 (Year A) Acts 6:1-7; Psalm 33; 1 Peter 2:4-9; John 14:1-12

Dissension and resentment in the Christian community is nothing new.

Fourth Sunday of Easter, May 7 (Year A) Acts 2:14a, 36b-41; Psalm 23; 1 Peter 2:20b-25; John 10:1-10

The Spirit gives us the courage and strength to speak and act despite our fear.

Third Sunday of Easter, April 30 (Year A) Acts 2:14, 22b-28; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24:13-35

Death could not hold Jesus. This was an important part of the first proclamation of the Risen Lord after the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Filled and emboldened with the Spirit, Peter recounted the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and he cast it as the fulfillment of ancient prophecy.

Second Sunday of Easter, April 23 (Year A) Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 118; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31

God’s power was revealed in the early Christian communities in dramatic ways. Why then and not now? How did they make it happen?

Resurrection of the Lord, April 16 (Year A) Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Psalm 118; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-18

The first Christian creeds were simple, direct and unadorned. The apostles proclaimed who Jesus was, what He did, what happened to Him, and His role in the universal judgment of humankind.

Passion (Palm) Sunday, April 9 (Year A) Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66

Speaking and acting on behalf of God is not for the fainthearted.

Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 26 (Year A) 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41

Samuel must have been perplexed and exasperated.