Holy Words From Holy Cross

What kind of people were the first people to claim to see Jesus' resurrection?  Could they be trusted?  The Christian faith is founded upon their testimony, so it is important to consider the question of the character of those first witnesses.

What is the nature of a witness?  Who should you believe?  What bonafides make for a good reliable witness?  Today's sermon explores this topic... and what agreeing with a witness could mean.

Are Christians weak-minded, deluded, or emotionally immature?  Do they believe what they believe "in spite of the evidence" as one famous atheist puts it, ignoring what is inconvenient to their preferred worldview?  Or is deep Christian faith something entirely different than many people's assumptions, including the assumptions of some Christians?  The story of Thomas is an illuminating example for us of someone converted BY the evidence.  Can modern Christians have a similar experience?

Why do we seek life from things that cannot provide it?  We all do it.... Why?  What is the alternative?

The worst sorts of chains are the sort we cannot see.  Part of the meaning of Maundy Thursday is that it is the Lord's intention to set us free...

Many times in our Christian lives, our prayer lives can become dry, boring, difficult, or obstructed by anger, bewilderment, or rebellion.  At times like these we are blessed that we are on the spiritual journey with others, the friends of our Friend Jesus.  At times of difficulty in prayer, it is wise to phone a friend...

Of all the things that happen in prayer, God's work within us to make us more like Himself--holy--may be the most important.  What do Christians mean when we say God is "holy?"  How can we ever hope to acquire that characteristic?

While modern culture values knowledge and data, ancient cultures valued something harder to acquire: wisdom.  The Bible has five books dedicated to wisdom, and wisdom is spoken of throughout the New Testament.  How is wisdom different from mere knowledge or data?  Is the acquisition of wisdom something modern Christians need change their thinking about?

Of all things people report in their experience with prayer--exhilaration, frustration, boredom--distraction is by far the most common.  What do we do when we find ourselves distracted at--or from--prayer?

One of the things that interferes most with our prayer life is sin.  Sin makes us avoid God and makes God's presence in prayer hard to perceive.  The problem is, many of us are afflicted with sins of which we are largely unaware.  How do we discover these sins and let them go so God may increase the depth of our prayer?

Psalm 4 is an important part of the daily prayer of the Church... and for good reason!  In the midst of a life fraught with anxiety, change, and fear, this Psalm speaks to us of true rest and how to find it.

The more time we spend at something, the better we get at it.  Why do we expect an instant sense of connection with God in our prayer lives when we would not have that expectation for any other relationship?  Of course, God is not like any other person with whom we might have a relationship, but we are the same, no matter with whom we are interacting...

What is the purpose of prayer, the purpose of repentance, the purpose of many of the things Christians do?  Modern Christians are often captives of their own time, their thoughts and questions shaped by concerns unique to themselves.  But the Word of God is for all Christians in all times, in all places.  Is there wisdom in the historic Christian witness that we would be wise to glean as we face the challenges of our own day?

Do we "get saved" once or do we come again and again to Jesus in repentance of our sins and trust in His forgiveness?  Christians sometimes argue about these things, but maybe that is the wrong approach... what if we are using different words to describe similar experiences?  As we seek the Lord during Lent, it is worthwhile to pause and consider what we are engaged in as Christians practicing our faith...

I once heard someone say, "I want to walk with God, but I've got to wait until I'm ready."  Does God wait until we're ready before working with us, changing us, helping us become His agents of change and healing in a hurting world?  The Bible and Church history tells an interesting story...

Most people think the world could be improved, but we mostly think it could be improved if OTHER people would change something about themselves.  The life of Joseph from the Book of Genesis and the words of Jesus from today's Gospel reading teach us something radically--and critically--different.

"How can there be a God when there is so much evil and tragedy in the world?"  It is an honest question, and one with which Christians should reckon honestly.  It turns out that St. Paul did just that in his first letter to the church at Corinth.  How do we apply his insights in our own time with modern questions?

Why don't we experience the glory of God in an unmistakable way all the time?  What stands in our way?  How does God overcome our spiritual blindness?  The story of Isaiah's calling has some important lessons for us.

As Americans face the biggest game of the year, enormous amounts of money are being spent to get us to buy things... How much would you pay for the most valuable thing in the world?  It may be available for free...

When Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan, it served a different purpose than our own baptisms.  Why be baptized?  What benefits does it confer?  Is anything different after we are baptized INTO Christ?  The Scriptures tell us an important truth...