Mindful Leader

Hilltop Chancel Choir -- Born to Die

Easter Sunday Anthem - Born to Die.  

Luke 24: 1-12 Easter Sunday

This is the 9:00 Service at Hilltop.  I am indebted to David Watson and N. T. Wright for good quotes here.  

Luke 18: 35 to 19: 10 -- Seeing Jesus

The sermon is on the Luke 18: 35 to 19: 10.  I am not 100% sure why we read the passage before except maybe for the forecast of Calvary.  I used this as an opportunity to review where we had been over the earlier four weeks and try, key word - try, to put a cherry on top of those four reflections.  

Caroline Vose -- English Handbells Solo

 

This is from the 10:30 AM Service at Hilltop on April 2, 2017.  Roberta Shimensky is the accompanist.  

Lazarus and the Rich Man -- Luke 16: 19-31

 

My take on this episode is that it is about privilege.  How do we leave it behind us?  Part of it is that we need to see those around us who are in need.  I do hope that Father Abraham is incorrect in that we can indeed understand God's message by listening to one who has returned from the dead.  

narrative Lectionary -- New Testament Week Thirteen -- Industrial Strength Joy

 

This reflection is drawn from the Luke 15, three parables.  The liturgist will only read the first two to provide context, and then I re-tell the third one.  A parable familiar to us.  

Narrative Lectionary -- New Testament Week Twelve -- Jesus in his humanness

 

The scripture for the week is shown below.  I didn't get a recording of the liturgist reading it this particular Sunday.  

 

Luke 13: 31-35

31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." 32 He said to them, "Go and tell that fox for me, "Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 33 Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.' 34 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.' "

 

Narrative Lectionary -- New Testament Week Eleven -- The Scandalous Samaritan

 

This is the familiar story of the Good Samaritan.  This was acrtually extremely scandalous for Jesus to use this imagery.  Amy Jill Levine, Jewish New Testament Scholar at Vanderbilt, suggests that the image is someone coming to your rescue, that was so detested, that you would just as soon die rather than be helped by him.  Wow.  

This is an excellent text for us to examine in this most hostile of times.  How do we learn to listen to each other in a way to understand rather than to hate and reject?  

Narrative Lectionary -- New Testament Week Ten -- Transfiguration

Narrative Lectionary -- New Testament Week Nine -- The Woman Washes Jesus' Feet -- 900 version