Ruth 4 gets into the weeds of redemption and marriage in ancient Israel. But there's a message for us: Boaz sees hope in the future, rather than in the past.…
The second chapter of Ruth shows us the complicated life of an attractive woman working in a field. It shows Ruth's dedication, but it also shows the vulnerability of someone…
Fundamentally, the gift of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost was one of translation. When we are called by the spirit to use our gifts in different ways to reach different…
Paul shows us the service that Christ gave us, by emptying himself of the powers and pretensions of God to live with us and lead by serving us. We have…
In prison, Paul shows thanks for the care given by the Philippians, for the love expressed in their actions. We are reminded that care and love require us and inspire…
The implications of the Gospel are always understood in translation. We see how they were perceived in first-century Rome. What are they today? Note: Even at the time, the anecdote…
As we explore progressive christian theology, we ask questions about power and privilege in the Bible. Paul uses his privilege to free a female slave from possession, and, by challenging…
In Christ's death, we see his humanity. In his Resurrection, we see that our identities are not centered in violence, but in the love of God. Christ's story, and ours,…
All of Christianity goes through the cross. The cross is not the end of the story. The suffering of Christ is not the whole of Christ's story. But Christ's story…
The condemnation of Jesus is full of ironies. But it's also full of the unspoken fears in empire. The crowd's fear of suffering the same fate as Jesus; Pilate's fear…
What is right action? What is righteousness? In the midst of Jesus's trial, we see people representing the power in Jerusalem all around him, afraid to take ownership of their…
Sin are those forces, external and internal, that keep us from seeing and living our identities. When we are separated from our identities and see our identities twisted, always remember…
The story of people written off as having no chance in the Olympics nonetheless winning reminds us of Jesus's choice to be a servant to his disciples. None of us…
Asking questions is the most holy work we can do. Believing in Christ means working to build the sovereign realm of God together, easing suffering. Mourning, and then acting, just…
In John's account of Jesus's healing of the man born blind, we see the message of the transfiguration: yes, God does great works. Let us go down among the people,…
Water is a recurring theme in John's gospel. As we look at the Samaritan woman, outcast and alone but seemingly blameless, we see the radical message that Jesus's water is…
Jesus's dialogue with Nicodemus in John gives us context to some famous Bible verses. One of those messages to us is to be careful of assuming that those we like…
As Jesus tells the denizens of the Temple that he can build it up in 3 days, we are reminded that the church is the people of God, and that…
