Every morning I am reminded of the great turning point in Hebrew history when Moses led the people across the Red Sea. My coffee cup depicts the event. The people stand...

Despite years of listening to sermons, reading spiritual texts, learning prayer practices, and attending retreats, I still manage now and then to mire myself in anxiety, confusion, guilt, shame, and restlessness....

I love when Jesus is smart and edgy—when he trips up the Pharisees, puzzles them, mystifies them. They know the scriptures, but he knows God. They’re well schooled; he’s subtle and...

I sometimes find Paul’s writings less appealing than other parts of scripture; he doesn’t hesitate to challenge or complain, and some of his admonishments are hard to grasp outside their ancient...

The history most of us learn in school takes us from war to war, from conqueror to king, and shows us how governments and empires rise and fall. It is an...

I love the word dwelling. It invites and it implies resting, enjoying, pausing, pondering, and making oneself at home. My own history of packing and moving, relocating, and making homes in...

Wendell Berry’s story “Pray Without Ceasing” begins with the narrator’s memory of his grandfather, who would sit beside him when they met, clap him lightly on the leg, and greet him...

Each of us is irreplaceable; each of us can be replaced. Both these statements are true, and both are important for us to remember as we look around at those we...

In this passage, Jesus asks to see the coin used to pay the taxes to the emperor. He asks what image is on the coin and counsels to “Give . . . to...

Our passage today is from Paul’s letter to the Christian converts in Thessalonica—one of his earliest missionary journeys. Paul affirms the people: “You became imitators of us and of the Lord,...