Herod was bound in the tension between doing what was right—refusing to behead John the Baptist—and upholding the social norms and standards around keeping one’s word. Both options had their own...

Those in power in today’s passage had very different opinions of John the Baptist. Herodias had preconceived notions against him, while her husband, King Herod, feared him yet “liked to listen...

This scripture moves from the cosmic infinite to the very personal, truly relational connection God has with humanity. We have insight into God’s selection of humanity through Jesus Christ and through...

Today’s scripture reads very much like a liturgy that would be well known by a community. The narration reminds us of the infinite and powerful presence of God. When we consider...

Psalm 24 is seen as a nod to the return of the ark and a naming of God’s almighty power and authority over the entire universe. This text centers God and...

Ritual has power, as we saw in yesterday’s text. The parade and procession of the ark to its final resting place most likely took hours, if not days. In addition, the...

This entire narrative is one of power and celebration. We have a giant crowd that has been waiting for this meaningful event for generations. There is a symbolic ordering of the...

When an elder or a deacon is ordained in the United Methodist Church, the resident bishop lays hands on the clergy person and says, “Take thou authority” (and I’m paraphrasing) to...

Rejection is, unfortunately, a universal human experience. I certainly wish it weren’t, but I bet you can think of multiple times that you’ve experienced rejection. Maybe it was from a romantic...

If you have read much about the church community in Corinth, you know it wasn’t an easy one. Some of Paul’s firmest words and most famous teachings are in his epistles...