“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”‘ John 11:25-26 The beautiful theme of this ridiculously complex and nearly inconceivable passage in John’s gospel is that…
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…
Unique to the Gospel of John are the “I Am” statements of Jesus. From “I am the bread of life” to “I am the vine,” each statement invites deeper curiosity about who Jesus is. During the seven weeks throughout Lent, RfA board members and chaplains will reflect on the implications of these statements. This devotional…