I love the “I am” statements of Jesus not only because of the metaphors we get for God, but also those we get for ourselves. We are the branches of Jesus. Connected to one another through the ultimate source of love, we offer shade, support, and nourishment. Rooted in a secure foundation, we reach up…
At one of the churches my mother served, when I would visit, I used to wander and look at all the portrayals of Jesus that were displayed in various spaces. When I think of the good shepherd, these images come to mind: Jesus holding (often cuddling) a lamb in a pastoral scene of reunion with…
For LGBTQ+ Christians, this passage can be difficult to hear, and may have even been used against us. We have been told that we are the wolves in sheep’s clothing, seeking to harm the flock, and Jesus is the gate keeping us out. Yet, this passage (John 10) says that Jesus, the good shepherd, calls…
I know what it means to live in the Darkness far away from the God of friends, family, and loved ones. I am under no illusion that I am far from God, but the God we worship is a God of lunar softness as much as solar power. The Christ that walks triumphantly into Jerusalem…
When I was first out on my own, I was hungry in every sense of the word. Stubbornly determined on independence, I didn’t know what I believed. In college there was a dining hall and a chosen family who made dinner together at least once a week. Now, degree in hand, I used what little…
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”’ John 14:6 When I was younger, this verse meant that Jesus was the only way. I was assured by my pastor that Christians had the inside track to heaven because we knew…
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15:1-2 The text from John 15 that includes Jesus saying, “I am the vine,” is…
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also…” John 10:14-16 When I read this…
“I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:9-10, NRSVUE) While leading an embodied lectio divina activity a few years…
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) How do we stand boldly and courageously, kept from faltering amidst all manner of darkness: attacks, judgments, untruths, and harms? On our…