“Spontaneity rather than Direction” Rev. Jim Ryan, Ph.D. The writing of the Gospels provided authors a way to tell the story of Jesus. The structure of how the story is told adds spontaneity and freedom in the telling. For example, the 15th chapter of Matthew’s gospel tells familiar individual stories. Jesus has confrontations with Pharisees…
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“Unfinished Work Among the People of God” Rev. Jim Ryan, Ph.D. People of God has such a great ring to it, doesn’t it. We who were introduced to this new title that was applied as an image of and a teaching about church – an introduction now going on 60 years later – we thought…
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“The Reign of God is at hand.” Matthew 10: Rev. Jim Ryan, Ph.D. Happy Father’s Day to all who have a fatherly role in so many ways! Happy Juneteenth Day, June 19. Memorializing the notice to the last group of slaves in the United States that they were finally free. They lived in…
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Speak, translate, apply Rev. Jim Ryan, M.Div, Ph.D. Just the other day I spent 2 hours trying to understand how a sentence in German was translated the way it was into English. (There it is, my neglect of my German language studies.) I could not figure out how the sentence in German could possibly result…
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Pastor at rest in pursuit of vision Rev. Jim Ryan, M.Div, Ph.D. On more than a few occasions I have demonstrated to the community that a methodical view of the preaching I do would consist of creating a metaphor in which I hold the Bible in one hand, and in the other the poems of…
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Eucharist: the aesthetic of disinterest in hate and embrace in love. Rev. Jim Ryan, M.Div., Ph.D. Pollsters report that the American public is exhausted and angry. What, I wonder, is this exhaustion and anger about? Where has it come from? Is it that we’ve had enough? Enough of gun violence? of exercising and holding on…
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Dissensus, the “Yes” on my way to dissent. Rev. Jim Ryan, M.Div, Ph.D. I began this calendar year, 2023, with the question of dissent in the church as a subject to explore. My specific focus would be on the place of disagreement and how it is, or is not, handled in communities of faith, specifically…
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Coming-to-faith via Grace 2nd Sunday of Easter – April 16, 2023 Rev. Jim Ryan, Ph.D. Thomas’ story (John 20:19-31) is one of coming-to-faith. Here is a disciple of Jesus, one who would later be given the title, Apostle, who followed and accompanied the Teacher for a good part of Jesus’ ministry. This is Thomas who…
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Bethany Walk, Passion of Love Rev. Jim Ryan, Ph.D. This Palm Sunday our Gospel was of the entry into Jerusalem. We will save the reading of the Passion narrative for its proper day and time which is Good Friday. This allows us to focus on Jesus’ Passion of Love. Today we are doing the Bethany…
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Sometimes One Chews on One’s Words OR “Psalm 27, we hardly knew ye.” Rev. Jim Ryan, Ph.D. Not so long ago I spoke about the Psalms as being difficult to pray due to the militarism, triumphalism, and revenge one finds in them. And then comes Psalm 27. It’s sentiment and poetry, as well as its…
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