The Riverside Gathering Posts

Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor [John 12:24-25]. For the past five weeks, I’ve done what doesn’t come easy: I’ve tried to experience less. That is to say that, prior to Lent, I’d spent more than a year watching the prices…

Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. [Numbers 21:6]. In the OT reading appointed for this upcoming Sunday—Numbers 21:4-9 [the Fourth Sunday in Lent, RCL, Year B]—we encounter a story that many see as “weird with a capital W.” It’s one of those stories that can make one scratch his or her head. Does it truly depict the God we worship? You likely recall the story. It’s from the 40-year period during which the Israelites, having been released from Egyptian bondage, follow what appears to be a wandering Yahweh through the wilderness. And, as the Israelites are wont,…

And God spoke all these words: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery …” [Exodus 20:1-2]. The Old Testament lesson for this upcoming Sunday, the Third Sunday in Lent (RCL, Year B), is the familiar passage detailing the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20:1-17 (as opposed to the slightly different version found in Deuteronomy 5:6-21). As I sifted through some old notes on the text, my eye was drawn to an article written years ago by Joshua Green, former senior editor of The Atlantic, entitled “Roy and His Rock” [The Atlantic, October 2005]. Some of you, particularly our dear…

Author’s Note: This was originally posted February 24, 2021, when the Genesis text served as the Old Testament reading. There are a few references below to COVID-19, which was raging through the world three years ago. Otherwise, however, I pray this meditation speaks to your world and that of your neighbor. Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” [Genesis 17:17-18, the verses that follow the Old Testament reading for the Second Sunday in…

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel" [Mark 1:14-15, NKJV]. Grace and Peace to each of you this Ash Wednesday. A good friend and colleague has allowed that the four Gospels can perhaps be distilled into the answers to two dominant questions: “Who is Jesus?” and “What time is it?” To be sure, other issues spring forth from the words penned by the inspired authors, but to my mind, there is a lot to be said for my friend’s words of focus. We…

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, …. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to Him! [Mark 9: 2, 7]. When we come to this week’s Gospel reading, Mark 9:2-9 [Transfiguration Sunday, RCL, Year B], we may be prepared for a lot of things. I don’t think we’re prepared, however, for a mountain. I acknowledge that earlier, according to Mark, Jesus “went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted” (i.e., the…

As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them [Mark 1:29-31]. My reading of Mark’s Gospel reveals—at least to me—that the author often carefully uses contrasting scenes to make his points. For example, in last week’s Gospel reading, Mark 1:21-28—that last week I chose the OT selection from Deuteronomy for my meditation—Jesus publicly entered Capernaum, along with Simon (Peter) and…

The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet [Deuteronomy 18:15]. For a number of years, prior to our migration to Blacknall Presbyterian about four years ago, I had the pleasure of being part of an engaging, devoted men’s study group at Trinity Avenue Presbyterian that meets each Wednesday morning. I recall one Wednesday’s discussion of the Israelites’ “golden calf” incident set forth in Exodus 32. I’m sure you recall most of the details. In any event, during the discussion, one of my friends posed an interesting question. He said, Of all the sins named…

And after that, John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, “The time is accomplished, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel” [Mark 1:14-15, Douay-Rheims Bible]. I’m clearly showing my age here, but in 1970, about the time that Jane and I began our yearlong engagement to be married—at the time, we were both mature 19-years-olds—the most popular movie was Erich Segal’s Love Story, starring Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw. At some point in the movie, Ryan’s character says something in anger to Ali’s character, but then he quickly apologizes. Those in my generation…

  And the lad Samuel was ministering to the LORD in Eli’s presence, and the word of the LORD was rare in those days, vision was not spread about. And it happened on that day that Eli was lying in his place, his eyes had begun to grow bleary, he could not see. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying in the temple of the LORD, in which was the Ark of God [1 Samuel 3:1-3, The Hebrew Bible, tr. by Robert Alter]. Over the past year or so, I have had multiple separate—although parallel—conversations with two close friends who have never met, and…