Brother Ron was a big man—and hugely wise. He once told me about his experience of leading weekly worship services. As he stood before the congregation with arms outstretched, he imagined...

One who mediates between the Divine and the human is called a priest; in Christendom the title refers to a ranking official who participates in rites of worship. This week, however,...

Have you ever been insulted by a powerful religious leader? Has your child been denied life-saving healthcare because of gender, ethnicity, or faith? If you have ever been reduced to begging...

Defile is not a word we often use in ordinary conversation. But it’s a word central to Jesus’ teaching. He contradicts the Pharisees’ conviction that eating foods deemed unclean makes people...

In some eras, the daily news is so bad it seems to eclipse the gospel’s good news. The people wring their hands or stare morosely at their screens and wonder if...

Psalm 133 opens on an idyllic note that carries through to the end. The family of faith that worships together ascends to heights of happiness. God’s protective favor streams over the...

Psalm 133 is a song of ascents, an ancient liturgical lyric of the children of Israel. They would climb a mountain to come closer to the Most High God in a...

Joseph stands before the brothers who once drove him into exile. He not only forgives them but also affirms God’s gracious initiative shining through their past vicious behavior: “And now do...

Today’s reading from Genesis has a backstory: Joseph, one of Jacob’s twelve sons, is his father’s favorite. Joseph is self-confident, imaginative, clever, and insightful. But his resentful brothers see him as...

A bumper sticker compassionately proclaims, “God bless the whole world. No exceptions.” The sentiment echoes that of Paul in today’s reading. Paul is writing to Gentile Christians who are suffering from...