In Genesis 21:8-21, we confront Hagar’s plight. Hagar, cast aside, navigates a wilderness with her son, embodying the struggles faced by those who are oppressed or voiceless. In her darkest moment,...

As I sat on a huge boulder at the edge of the ocean at daybreak, the grief felt overwhelming. Having lost both my parents just nine weeks apart, I grappled with...

When you set out on a mission with Jesus, you quickly learn he stays on the move. Mark’s Gospel says that Jesus traveled “among all the cities and villages” (CEB), devoting...

There is power in our names. Our names tell where we came from, the experiences we have endured, and the person we are becoming. Whether a parent speaks a word of...

In my first year as a pastor, the church I served experienced a crisis that consumed the community. It was an exhausting series of days filled with tears, anger, and regret...

His voice shook when he said, “In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.” It was the first Sunday for our seminary intern to lead our congregation through the confession,...

It wasn’t until I embraced the sport of fly fishing that I learned how much I struggle to pay attention. Standing in a clear mountain stream in Western North Carolina, I...

Sarah could not contain her laughter when she heard the strangers outside the tent renew the promise: Though her womb was barren and her husband good as dead, she would give...

Disappointment has a particular sting. It can shrink our imagination of what is possible in our world today. It can cut us off from the people who give us life. Abraham...

Paul seems to be drawing a dividing line in this passage between those of the law and those who have faith. However, rather than drawing a division, Paul seeks to unite....