John tells us that Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews, secretly sought out Jesus at night so that he would not be seen. However, subsequently in John’s Gospel, we glimpse “the...

As long as I can remember, a large oil painting hung over the sofa in my parents’ living room. For some reason, I loved that picture. So when my father died,...

They will know we are Christians by our love.” Christians should be known by how we put our love into action. God loves us so that we can love ourselves, others,...

Reading Psalm 29 feels like the storm it describes. The phrases are short and punctuated with graphic imagery. Listening to the psalm, I can close my eyes and see the raging...

Edith struggled to find inner peace after the death of her child. She grieved that she could not have any more children, and she wanted her life to count for something...

As a high school senior, I was busy planning for college but feeling cut off from my friends. One winter evening, after being snubbed by a classmate, I felt sad and...

Pentecost Sunday is the day Christians around the world celebrate as the birthday of the church. We read about “the rush of a violent wind” and the “divided tongues, as of...

I sometimes wonder if we focus so much on the bewilderment and amazement of the crowd at Pentecost that we do not contemplate the effect of the Spirit on the early...

In wisdom you have made them all.” This psalm sings to me of the diversity of creation and the diversity and inclusiveness of Pentecost. Everything and everyone created by God is...

Whenever I read this portion of John’s Gospel, I try to put myself in the shoes of the disciples. Jesus has been saying good-bye for a while. How frightful it must...