Notes

Poor Peter. In last Sunday’s gospel, Peter blurted out the answer (“You are the Messiah”) before any of the other disciples had the chance to answer, and Jesus rewarded him for it. (“You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.”) This week, Jesus is foreshadowing the events of his own life – that he must go to Jerusalem, be killed and be raised on the third day – and Peter exclaims, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happe... Read More

Did you know that 51 separate verses in the Bible talk about rocks? (As a child of the '80s and an original Trivial Pursuit fan, I like facts like this.) We were just talking about rocks during Parish Choir warm-up this past Sunday morning. Growing up Methodist, with a little Baptist on the side, how many years did I sing, “Here I raise my Ebenezer,” not knowing that an Ebenezer was actually a rock. After moving to Memphis 15-plus years ago, I finally sought out Rabbi Mi... Read More

The woman whose daughter was possessed by a demon had an unflappable faith. When it comes to their children, I believe most every mother is unflappable, thank God. This Sunday’s gospel tells the story of a Canaanite woman (and therefore already an outcast) who sought out Jesus to heal her tormented daughter. In usual form, the disciples advised to “send her away.” And at first Jesus seems to agree by saying, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.&... Read More