Psalm 149 shows the abrupt change we sometimes have when our proclamations of praise and conception of ourselves as servants of God encounter our inconvenience, defensiveness, and reactivity.
People who grow up as Christians sometimes miss out on the experience of encountering the Gospel for the first time. For the woman at the well, being known and seen…
Sometimes, the stories are just a little bit funny, and we have to lean into the reality that we present our whole lives to God and one another.
Paul's message to Athens is not only that God has always been with them, but also that we are called to do more than just talk.
Psalm 137 shows grief and humiliation at its most raw. It reminds us always to remember the choice to be kind, or not, and the consequences of exercising our power…
Lydia, who ran into Paul on a business trip, saw in the message of Christ an opportunity to change her life by risking her reputation and providing Paul a place…
In this somewhat idealized vision of the early church, we see what the Holy Spirit can do when the church is trying to build something together. In the midst of…
The first chapter of Acts reminds us that Jesus's time on earth ended, but that the church went on. In the wake of Easter, what will we do to bring…
Entering Holy Week, Jesus is up all night struggling to face our final fear: certain death. What do we discover about ourselves in his anxious hours?
The work of reconciliation begins with recognizing the discomfort that comes from recognizing that the stories we have told ourselves about the world, and ourselves, do not match up with…
In moments of urgent need, we do what we can. If that means anointing one about to die, we do that. If that means giving to the poor, we do…
In these linked stories from Jesus's ministry in Jerusalem, we see the message: preaching sacrifice for others while using their sacrifice for your own ends is the opposite of holiness.
The Psalmist reminds us that the first step toward reconciliation and the work of building God's world together is repenting of our sin. In America, to build the nation we…
When Bartimaeus calls out "Jesus, son of David, have mercy!", he understands Jesus better than the disciples. He then asks Jesus to help him see. He understands why he is…
Jesus tells us to welcome children in our midst, and also to learn from their minds and examples. What are their lessons?
Jesus reminds us that what may be clear to us may not be clear to others. But even as we work to tell stories that others understand, we need to…
One striking part of Jesus's ministry was the way he refused to show the fullness of who he was before the time was ripe. Perhaps he did not want people…
As Mark tells the story, the Pharisees in Levi's house assume that the people Jesus is eating with are not righteous. Jesus turns it around and questions their authority to…
