Search Results

The prophet Haggai is a familiar figure from Sacred Scripture. He is mentioned in our passage under consideration as well as repeatedly in the Book of Haggai and twice in the Book of Ezra. He (...)

In Luke 14:25–33, Jesus’ teaching takes a sobering turn as he underlines the demands of discipleship. Preparing to engage this from the pulpit, preachers may wish first to render vividly the crowds’ joyous amazement at (...)

Hebrews 13:1–8, 14–15 offers wisdom for churches as they continue to emerge from pandemic lockdowns and for pastors who navigate the shifting landscape of the church in the American context. It would be inadequate to (...)

Amos describes a basket of summer fruit shown to him by God. This visual image serves as an icon, linked to the content of the divine word. A play on words forms the link, the (...)

This week’s Old Testament lectionary reading contains my favorite ambiguous antecedent in all of Scripture. Let me acknowledge from the outset that “favorite ambiguous antecedent in Scripture” is a pretty niche category. It’s not like (...)

Six years ago I returned from a life-changing visit to Kisumu, Kenya (described in this column from 2016). I had been invited by the Rev. Tom Ochuka, then a pastor (now a bishop) in the (...)

We Christians are an interesting, perhaps odd, group of people. We follow a savior who was born in a stable rather than a palace. A teacher who ate with tax collectors and sinners, who touched (...)

Jesus has been heading to Jerusalem since Luke 9:51, and in Luke 13:31-35 the Pharisees urge him to get there even quicker. They claim that Herod desires (thelō) to kill him (verse 31). However, Herod (...)

When Moses comes down from meeting with God on Mount Sinai, the text repeatedly notes that the skin of his face was shining (Exodus 34:29, 30, and 35). Rather than ask Moses what skin care (...)

During last February’s cold snap—the one in which millions of Texans lost electricity, natural gas, and water due to insufficiently weatherized utility systems, and at least 210 died—it was not the humans alone who needed (...)