Lent II – John 3:1-17 March 1, 2026 Church of the Atonement The Rev’d Charles Everson This morning's sermon is a little different than those I normally preach. I want to invite you to sit with me inside the mind of Nicodemus, one of the characters in this morning's gospel, and explore how he might have experienced this encounter with Jesus. ------------------------------ My name is Nicodemus. I am a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin – the council that governs the religio

SERMON, CHURCH OF THE ATONEMENT 1 LENT A FEB. 22, 2026 The Rev. Anne Wrider   The Judean desert is a true wilderness. It is one of the hottest and most desolate places on earth. It isn’t a sand desert, but one of brown and gray rock. And it goes on for hundreds of square miles, a barren wilderness with no relief. It is also one of the driest places on earth. If you get lost in that desert without water, you will be dead in a day. This is not a place that makes any allowances

Dr. Richard Kieckhefer February 20, 2026 Did I kill Christ?  Did you?  Our hymnal gives one ferocious answer to that question.  The hymn “Ah, holy Jesus” addresses the suffering Christ:         Who was the guilty?  Who brought this upon thee?       Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee.       ’Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee;       I crucified thee.             [Johann Heermann, “Ah, holy Jesus”, trans. Robert Bridges, No. 158]   The treason of Judas, the denial