Our Gospel reading tells the story of Jesus cleansing the Temple during the Passover celebration. Although the merchants and money changers undoubtedly abused the system, they contributed in a useful way,...

Rather than focusing on these commandments as obligations, we are exploring what they teach us about the nature of God. We acknowledge a God who loves us and desires a covenantal...

Many organizations develop “codes of ethical conduct.” I find such ethical codes fascinating. They reveal a great deal about the identity, outlook, commitments, and values of the organization. We may consider...

Many Christians are ambivalent about the law—and perhaps with good reason. The apostle Paul depicts the law as a force that holds us captive. Paul claims that Christ replaces the law...

When I read that Abraham “did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body,” I wonder how he managed that. I’m not even close to one hundred, and my...

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. That mind-set permeates our culture. For example, here in the South, we are taught never to return a dish empty after someone gives...

God called Abram into a relationship that took Abram from his home and kindred. Abram left Ur not knowing where following God would take him. The call in today’s passage is...

I cannot read Psalm 22 without thinking of my friend Andie, whom I met when she was about seven years old. Andie grew up living her faith enthusiastically. She was funny,...

Peter demonstrates the nearly universal human aversion to pain and struggle—and seemingly even discussion of them. Jesus tells the disciples “quite openly” that he must suffer and die. Peter doesn’t want...

God’s covenant with Abraham was a sovereign act. Over and over in Abraham’s story, God takes the initiative, speaking to Abraham apart from any apparent intent by Abraham to seek God....