Luke 17:5-10 It has been blooming from a crack in my driveway all summer long. I did not plant it there, of course, but I have often planted petunias along the driveway side of my house just a few feet away. Even so, it is not the sort of plant which survives the winter — …
“Lazarus” at My Front Door…
Luke 16:19-31 I can still picture my dad leaning back in his chair with his hands tented together in that philosophical pose he took from time to time. I smiled then and still do to remember him so, knowing that whenever those fingers came together in that way he was about to say something he …
Living Our Faith In This Messy World
Luke 16:1-13 Dear Friends, As I write this week I realize that I am only at the beginning of my thinking about this difficult parable. These past days have been full of meetings and hospital calls and as the week drew to a close I came down with a nasty bug which, I don’t doubt, …
Who is the Lost One?
Luke 15:1-10 I have reflected on the words of Luke in chapter 15 countless times. To be sure, here are links here to two other times I have offered thoughts on these very familiar words. Getting Lost and Getting Found: Joy in the Presence of the Angels! and Lost and Found This time through, I …
Paul’s Pastoral Heart: Philemon, Onesimus, and More…
Philemon 1-21 I got drawn into the letter to Philemon this week, in part because its place in our readings next Sunday offers us the chance to reflect on an entire book of the Bible. Unlike Paul’s other letters, its succinctness allows us to focus on one or two important things and to wonder together …
Hospitality to Strangers and Who Is Invited to the Banquet…
Luke 14:1, 7-14 Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 Perhaps it is because it is such a remarkable image of the Reign of God which is depicted in the last part of our reading from Luke today that I am hard pressed to come up with anything in my life or experience which even comes close. Indeed, it …
Everything Else Falls Away: A Crippling Spirit No More!
Luke 13:10-17 I sat across the table from a friend of more than thirty years. The call came through with the wondrous news that they were now grandparents. His eyes filled up with tears of joy as he leaned into his phone, listening to his son’s long awaited news. For yes, this day has been …
This Great Cloud of Witnesses
Hebrews 11:29-12:2 As I read these familiar words from Hebrews this week, I found myself wondering about the litany of heroes before us now. Indeed, I wondered at how familiar most will be with them. I have attempted here to capture in a few words what we know about each one: Gideon (Judges 6-8) I …
Treasure… “Not Garbage”
Luke 12:32-48 I was out on my bicycle a couple of early mornings ago. As I returned home on my street, this caught my eye. Now it was the first of the month and the dwelling this pile of ‘treasures’ stood in front of is a rental, so I expect someone’s lease was up and …
The Real Tragedy of the Story…
Luke 12:13-21 I have been on sabbatical since the first of June. In order to give my self a true break, I posted old blogs to cover the time I was away. Although I will be back in the pulpit this Sunday, I was concerned I would not have the time or the focus to …