Acts 1:6-14 I can certainly understand the yearning behind the disciples’ plea today as they stand on the edge of an unknown future. One cannot fully know why they accompanied Jesus all those years in the first place, but it seems to me some large part of their devotion to him must have been rooted …
“I Will Not Leave You Orphaned…”
John 14:15-21 It is deeply embedded in my family story, the experience of being ‘orphaned.’ Perhaps in one way or another it is part of all of our stories. This is how it was. My dad’s dad died suddenly when he was five. What made the loss particularly poignant was that no one told him. …
Living Stones…
1 Peter 2:2-10 I find myself thinking of stones a lot these days… And no, not the random ones one might come across in an untilled field or on the water’s edge. I am thinking of the stones which make up the building where I lead worship week after week. Not actual stones, of course, …
The Shepherd’s Voice
John 10:1-10 I write today as one who has always loved the church. And for the most part, I write as one who has experienced deeply and consistently the kindness and care and encouragement of those who call the church home as well. Lately, though, I have begun to wonder if this very human institution …
Joy and Sorrow Side by Side…
Luke 24:13-35 I am struck today by how closely joy and sorrow live side by side. Certainly this was so with Cleopas and the other disciple as they made that long walk home to Emmaus that Sunday afternoon. One can imagine the two of them walking a path they probably knew by heart, caught up …
Thomas and the Gift and Power of Community
It has been some time since I have written here. Much of that time I was still preaching, but I did not have the space (mentally, emotionally, even spiritually) to hold two weeks of reflection and preaching in my heart at one time and so I was not able to put my thoughts together early …
On the Lunar Eclipse and the Promises of God
Luke 21:5-19 “…and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven…” I got up extra early this morning to walk. I wanted to catch sight of the lunar eclipse which we will not witness again for another three years. When I first stepped out my front door, I couldn’t see it at all, …
All Saints Day: How God Sees
Luke 6:20-31 I have spent a good part of my life living near cemeteries, so from the time I was young it has been my habit to walk through those sacred places, pausing to wonder at the stories of those whose names and years are engraved in stone there. Nowadays when I walk it is …
On Mustard Seeds and Mulberry Trees…
Luke 17:5-10 It’s not about the mulberry tree, of course, although it is an apt metaphor for what Jesus speaks of now given the tenacity of its roots and its ability to sprout new ones given half a chance. Indeed, the very nature of the mulberry tree makes its complete uprooting all the more miraculous! …
Weighing the Cost…Following Jesus
Luke 14:25-33 I hear the words of Jesus now and I am struck by how close they hit to home. At least for me. Perhaps for you as well. Of how we come to junctures in our lives on which all the rest turns. As individuals, yes. As families. And as bodies of believers. As …