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The second in this series of readings from Hebrews focuses on two very rich passages: the first is a declaration of the awesome power of God’s word and of our fear-inspiring accountability before the God (...)

Baptism (part 2) As often as not (and I am tempted to say too often) when we think about baptism (if we think about baptism at all) we tend to think about what happens in (...)

Throughout 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul encourages the Corinthian congregation toward unity, urging them to “be united in the same mind and same purpose” (1:10). Likewise, while Paul recognizes the different giftings of the members (...)

Christmas as sweetness and light? There is no eluding Herod, though.  Nearing his own death, Herod inflicts death on so many innocents. The magi were lucky to survive after cheekily saying to his face, “Where (...)

In Romans 12:1-21, the Apostle Paul emphasizes the centrality of a renewed and transformed consciousness and mind. Yes, all things start in the mind, and an untransformed mind can cause harm both to self and (...)

A preacher might get at this very challenging text from one of two directions.1 Each approach comes with its own difficulties. You can ignore the wider context of Romans 9-11 and zero in on the (...)

A cursory reading of Romans might lead one to think that chapters 9-11 are a tangent or insertion unrelated to the rest of the letter.1 A more careful reading, however, leads to a different conclusion. (...)

This reading includes some of the most familiar and comforting words we have from the apostle Paul.1 Nearly every sentence is a new way of stating the promise that God has not abandoned “us,” and (...)

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is traditionally called “triumphal” and deservedly so. He is hailed as the Lord’s representative, a kingly figure whose pathway is strewn with cloaks and palm branches. But the accolades are not (...)

As I write this, the gap between God’s promises and reality as we experience it that I spoke about in reference to Zechariah’s song two weeks ago seems especially pronounced. In addition to the rampant (...)