Faith in Progress

March 26, 2017 John 9:1-42 Another sermon conversation between  John Baker and I.  We split the long Gospel reading into parts and took turns preaching about those parts. v. 1-7 As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”  When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. (John) Before we go any farther, I have to say a word or two about that line that probably just stopped many of us from hearing what came

Because this Gospel reading is so long, John and I decided it would be fun to preach it as a conversation.  We broke the reading into six parts and took turns both reading the scripture pieces and preaching after each.  I'm including the reading pieces below to help give context for the preaching. John 4:5-9        Jesus came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.)  The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)   (Elizabeth) Right before this reading John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus is heading to Galilee, but he has to pass through Samaria to get there. That’s