Jesus used parables to connect with his audience. By telling stories that taught his message, Jesus could make connections to the real experiences his listeners would have had. The parable Jesus...

Perhaps we should be grateful for the synagogue leader’s messy faith in Luke’s Gospel. So messy and trying is his response to Jesus’ healing on the sabbath that it’s not hard...

Our oldest daughter has found adulthood difficult. Traditional college was not a good fit, and she struggled to discern the right path for her life. Ever tenacious, she enrolled in an...

In Ann Patchett’s novel Bel Canto, a multicultural group of dignitaries is invited to hear a famous opera singer perform at a dinner party in a third-world country. While they are...

If “the best defense is a good offense,” then gratitude should be in ready supply. There’s no better way to confront adversity than to shine gratitude in its face. It’s the...

In the woods near our home, some wild lilies make an appearance each spring. They don’t send out engraved invitations, notify their fans by email or Facebook, or send a text...

It’s not hard to turn away from something we don’t deem essential for our lives. It’s hard to welcome this “unshakable essential” when we’re taking care of things just fine. After...

While a life with God welcomes free choice, once a commitment is made, some essentials cannot be refused, ignored, or misplaced. We must accept them as God’s gifts, whether welcomed or...

Is there any doubt about the fact that Jesus came to shake things up? He called people who heard this word for the first time and those of us who read...

The church I serve is eight decades old, and I am the fourth Senior Pastor. The cloud of witnesses here, like in most churches, are the shoulders on which we figuratively...