Matthew 10:40-42 It is a family memory that always makes me smile, although it came to be ours in the midst of an excruciatingly difficult time. My dad was in intensive care. His condition was precarious and we were understandably worried about him. Two of my sisters, my then one-year-old nephew, our mother, and I were …
Tag: Matthew
“A Flock of Meandering Geese: Like Sheep Without a Shepherd”
Matthew 9:35-10:8 “When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.””(Matthew 28:36-38) “The bush was …
“But Some Doubted…”
Matthew 28:16-20 “But some doubted…” These are some of my favorite words in this last breath of Matthew’s Gospel. I love that they are here in all their unexpected surprise, for if some who were there and who actually witnessed the resurrection and who gathered on that mountain to hear Jesus’ final instructions to them …
The Promise of Easter Life and Moving President Polk
Matthew 28:1-10 “But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised as he said. Come see the place where he lay…” (Matthew 28:5-6) It is no wonder, of course, that the …
Matthew’s Passion: A Reflection Companion for Holy Week
Matthew 27:11-54 As I sit with Matthew’s Passion, my imagination is captured this time through by the various characters who populate the familiar scene before us now. In fact, I’m considering how we might pause together during this Holy Week with each and all of them. There is Pilate, of course, who appears wholly reluctant …
And Suddenly Angels Came…
Matthew 4:1-11 “And suddenly angels came…” I witnessed this this just yesterday…angels tending one of God’s beloved in the wilderness… But first, this: I took a few days off this last week to ‘reset’ a bit. It had been too long since I have had more than a couple of consecutive days away from work …
On the Mountaintop
Matthew 17:1-9 My congregation has been privileged this year to receive the gifts of an intern pastor. It has been a wonderful experience and surely one we hope to repeat again and again. It was as I was reflecting on how this has been so far that I was asked about my own experience as …
Being Perfect
Matthew 5:38-48 My 7th grade home economics teacher called me a ‘perfectionist.’ And while I do not remember her using whatever occasioned this remark as a teachable moment, it was clear that she did not mean it as a compliment. Indeed, while I will never be able to understand her intent when she spoke so …
Choosing Life…
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Matthew 5:21-37 “We left violence and war behind us. We wanted to live a peaceful life.” (Daily Chronicle, February 4/5, 2017, p. 10) These words of Awni Alkarzon, director of international recruitment at Northern Illinois University, reflect the choices of countless people who have taken or would give anything to take the risk …
“You are the Light of the World…”
Matthew 5:13-20 Along with many, it is one of my favorite parts of Christmas Eve. On one of the longest nights of the year, we come together in the darkest part of it. We hear the much loved story of God coming to us in human flesh. We sing the familiar carols. And we dim …