Rev. Brent L. White

As we have just finished our two-part sermon series on John 21, “Life’s a Beach,” I wanted to tie up a couple of loose ends in John 21. The scholarly consensus is that this chapter was added later as an epilogue to John 1-20, which is possibly why John 20:30-31 seems to serve as a tidy ending to the original book.

But maybe that’s wrong. Gail O’Day, among others, believes that the “signs” referred to in John 20:30-31 are not all the miracles recorded in John’s gospel but events pertaining to Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances (i.e., vv. 30-31 are a conclusion to chapter 20 only, not to the entire gospel).¹

If this is true, then vv. 30-31 shouldn’t be read as John’s “original ending.” The original ending is the actual ending, John 21:25, which also sounds like a fitting conclusion: “But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” Read the rest of this entry »

In his essay entitled, “Conservation is Good Work,” Wendell Berry complains about our use and understanding of the word “environment.”¹

The idea that we live in something called “the environment”… is utterly preposterous. This word came into use because of the pretentiousness of learned experts who were embarrassed by the religious associations of “Creation” and who thought “world” too mundane. But “environment” means that which surrounds or encircles us; it means a world separate from ourselves, outside us. The real state of things, of course, is far more complex and intimate and interesting than that. The world that environs us, that is around us, is also within us. We are made of it; we eat, drink, and breathe it; it is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. It is also a Creation, a holy mystery, made for and to some extent by creatures, some but by no means all of whom are humans. This world, this Creation, belongs in a limited sense to us, for we may rightfully require certain things of it—the things necessary to keep us fully alive as the kind of creature we are—but we also belong to it, and it makes certain rightful claims on us: that we care properly for it, that we leave it undiminished not just to our children but to all the creatures who will live in it after us. None of this intimacy and responsibility is conveyed by the word environment.

I imagine, therefore, that Berry would approve of this 12th century prayer from St. Francis of Assisi. Perhaps we can make this our “Earth Day” prayer, understanding of course that as God’s image-bearing creatures charged with caring for this world, every day is Earth Day. Read the rest of this entry »

Sermon Text: John 21:1-14

[Click here to download a podcast of sermon.]

The following is an original manuscript of the sermon.

Daybreak at the Sea of Galilee.

Does anyone know when it was decided to cancel spring this year? I mean, I know we had a harsh winter, but we didn’t have to go straight to summer, did we? Actually, if we were going to cancel spring, we might have also cancelled pollen! I’m not really complaining much. But just in time for summer, we have today’s scripture. It has two of my favorite activities in the world: hanging out on the beach and grilling! Throw in a boom box playing the Beach Boys, and it’s my idea of heaven! And Jesus is there. And what else do we learn in this text: charcoal really is better than propane because, after all, it’s what Jesus used!

“After these things,” John writes, “Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias”—or Sea of Galilee. What are “these things” that John is referring to? The events related to Easter and the week following that, when Jesus appeared again to the disciples, including Thomas—and offered to show him his hands and side. According to Acts, the resurrected Lord made appearances to the disciples for a period of 40 days, and according to John this was the third of those appearances. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m happy and relieved to tell everyone who will listen that I was approved this week to be an “elder in full connection” in the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. This means that at Annual Conference in Athens in June, the bishop will ordain me. I will receive a stole over my robe, a sign of being fully ordained. (When I’m in a traditional service, I can wear stoles now!)

This good news was a bit confusing to my mom (who’s Baptist, God bless her), who thought that’s what happened three years ago at Annual Conference in Athens. I tried to explain to her that I was commissioned as a “probationary elder,” the first of a two-step process. I’ve been in residency since then—working as a pastor while continuing to complete work required by the Board of Ordained Ministry. Read the rest of this entry »