On the one hand, this parable feels like an invitation into purposeful work with the Lord. The man in the parable takes on the work of scattering seeds without knowing of...

The twentieth psalm stands out from the ones leading up to it. This psalm is written to be sung on behalf of the king in preparation for battle. It makes the...

Most mornings, I wake up to see my dog completely relaxed on his back, paws up, head tilted to the side, basically leaving me no choice but to offer him a...

It is striking to me that Samuel hears God’s voice so clearly. Samuel has a deep ability to experience and discern God’s presence. He could have doubted the words, “The Lord...

In my days as a children’s ministry leader at our small church in a suburb just outside Minneapolis, my favorite class to teach (yes, this teacher had favorites) was the preschool...

When Jesus spoke of an unforgiveable sin, he uncorked a flow of questions and fears that continue today. It seems to me that the specter of God’s unforgiveness has, in many...

In Mark 3, Jesus heals with authoritative abandon. Even the evil spirits recognize his authority. On a mountain with his inner circle, Jesus appoints twelve of them to serve as his...

Paul speaks of “gratitude,” of “bodies breaking down on the outside,” of those same bodies “on the inside . . . being renewed every day,” and of an incomparable “stockpile of...

In today’s reading, Paul continues the theme with which he began his letter: Life may be full of troubles, but God empowers us to take each raw deal that life throws...

Psalm 138 opens with a defiant celebration. The psalmist looks at all other “gods” and sings grateful praise to Yahweh alone. Idols are the darlings of kings who devour the earth...