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In the first part of Romans 13, Paul addresses what those in the Christian community owe the civil authorities. He writes, “Pay to all what is due them — taxes to whom taxes are due, (...)

Getting down to brass tacks, Paul poses the question bluntly in Romans 11:1: “Has God rejected his people?” I like his equally blunt answer: “Hell, no!” I know, your Bible probably says something more polite, (...)

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

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

Our toddler granddaughter is learning how to talk and has a wonderful way of lengthening the word “no.” Recently I caught her sitting in front of an electrical outlet.  “Nooo,” she said to herself.  “Nooo, (...)

The more I read the letters to the Corinthians, the more I appreciate the courage and boldness of this community as they wrestled with what it meant to be people of faith. The Community at (...)

Psalm 121 is identified by its title as “A Song of Ascents.” The significance of the term “ascents” is not certain. The same root in Psalm 122:4, however, refers to a ritual journey to Jerusalem (...)

The epistle that Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome was a letter he intended to be sent, not to one, but to a number of church communities scattered throughout the city. Therefore, he knew (...)

John the Baptizer is a colorful prophetic figure who introduces the story of Jesus in all four Gospels. He dresses like Elijah, and he sounds like Isaiah or Amos. In the Matthean account, as in (...)

Psalm 122 is a perfect psalm for the beginning of a new church year on this First Sunday of Advent. Identified as “A Song of Ascents,” this psalm describes the pilgrim throng entering “the house (...)