Sermon by William Bradbury

Easter 3—B, April 15, 2018

Acts 3:12-19, Psalm 4, 1 John 3:1-7, Luke 24:36b-48

Did you see the eclipse this past August? My crew had those special sunglasses, so we could see the partial eclipse here. My sister and nephew, however, drove from Atlanta north in order to see the full eclipse. On their journey through rural Tennessee my nephew took a picture of a church sign at Delray Baptist Church with a message on it that reads: “Choose the Bread of Life or you are toast.” Continue reading →

Easter Day

Year B

April 1, 2018

William Bradbury

Acts 10:34-43, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, John 20:1-18

“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb….” She had hoped to eat just one more meal or hear him tell one more of those strange stories that deconstruct her world, yet fills her with purpose and peace. Continue reading →

Sermon

Good Friday

March 30, 2018

William Bradbury

Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Psalm 22, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1-19:42

All-loving God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross…. This afternoon we are in the presence of a terrible thing: the cruel execution of a good and faithful man. Here we see Jesus not only murdered, but also tortured. Not only executed, but also shamed. Jesus is not the first nor is he the last man or woman to suffer such horrendous things, but he is the one we remember across two thousand years. Continue reading →

Sermon

Maundy Thursday

March 29, 2018

William Bradbury

Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14, Psalm 116:1, 10-17, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35

You know the old story: a woman gets on her knees every night and prays: “Dear Lord, please let me win the lottery.” Night after night she perseveres in her prayer, until she finally says, “Okay Lord, why have you failed to answer my prayer?” And God replies: “First you have to buy a ticket.” Continue reading →

Sermon

Sunday of the Passion—Year B

March 25, 2018

William Bradbury

Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Psalm 31:9-16, Mark 14:1-15:47

I ask you: “What is so special about the crucifixion of a homeless Jewish rabbi?” After all, Rome crucified their conquered people on a regular basis. Some of you will remember the 1960 movie “Spartacus”, the true story of a Roman slave, who leads a slave revolt against the Empire. (It won 4 academy awards and was directed by Stanley Kubrick.) This revolt took place 100 years before Jesus and ended in a final bloody battle in which the slaves were defeated. But Empire is never satisfied with just winning a war, because it also wants everyone to know the cost of resisting Empire. So along 130 miles of the Appian Way, stretching from Rome towards Naples, Empire crucified 6000 followers of Spartacus. That’s one cross every 40 yards. The Day the Revolution Began, by NT Wright— page 57 Continue reading →

Sermon

Lent 5—B

March 18, 2018

William Bradbury

Jeremiah 31:31-34, Psalm 51:1-13, Hebrews 5:5-10, John 12:20-33

Jeremiah, who was not a bullfrog, but a 6^th century prophet filled with the Spirit of Yahweh who announces something extraordinary today: “The days are surely coming, says YHWH, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.” Continue reading →