Lection Reflections Does God judge fairly? Or some other way? So here's a question for you: Do you think God is fair in God's dealings with humans? Or, is there possibly a different work for God's governance?
Lection Reflections Agape love and a Black eunuch When Phillip met with a Black on a deserted road, he showed agape love. Can we do the same?
Lection Reflections Terror, joy, doubt — and διαλογισμός "While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering ..." Today's Reflection looks at the mix of emotions in that room ... including some internal dialogue going on.
Lection Reflections The Scribes and Widows You Don't See Imagine a group of people: a crowd at a football game, the downtown of a city, a congregation gathered for worship. Now pick out the scribes and the widows. And here’s a hint: not all the widows are women, and not all the scribes are men. :: Widows are all
Lection Reflections The Last Word And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long, Steals on the ear the distant triumph song ... Getting the last word. We all know people who have to have the last word in an argument. It doesn’t matter what it costs — they have to be right. And sometimes, it
Lection Reflections God Is Not An Equation Like 1.5 billion other people, I am on Facebook. I currently have, uhm ... { checking } ... 791 friends there. And many of them are Christian. I love my Christian friends, just like all my friends, but sometimes they post things that drive me crazy. (As does everyone on Facebook, of course,
Lection Reflections Mean for Jesus (A Lection Reflection on Mark 7) Some years ago, the denomination I was serving in was in the midst of a wrenching fight. One group was trying to take control of the denomination, and they were framing their tactics as "returning to the truth" -- which meant, of course,
Lection Reflections You Can’t Have It All (A Lection Reflection on Joshua 24 and John 6) Choices. We all face them. This sandwich or that one? This house or that apartment? This job or the other? Get married or stay single? And even though we know that almost every choice opens one door and closes another, we
Lection Reflections Leader, Manager, Predator, Shepherd (A Lection Reflection on Mark 6 and Psalm 23) (also part of the Leadership series) Fire up the Google machine and put in "sheep without a shepherd," "Jesus as shepherd," "the Good Shepherd," or "the Lord is my shepherd." You'll
Lection Reflections What If Gandalf Doesn't Show? (a Lection Reflection on Psalm 130 and Mark 5:21-43) There is a scene in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers where Gandalf is leaving Aragorn to go get help. As he mounts up and prepares to leave, he says "Look to my coming, at first light,
Lection Reflections Is Jesus Calling Us To Be Superheroes? (a Lection Reflection on Mark 4:35-41) I have a guilty habit to share: I enjoy reading adventure novels. Jason Bourne, Dirk Pitt, Jack Ryan — I buy them in paperback, and usually read them in a couple of days. They’re brain candy, empty calories, but I still get
Lection Reflections Of David, twigs, and seeds -- a lesson about the Kingdom of God (A Lection Reflection on 1 Samuel 15:34 - 16:13, Ezekiel 17:22-24, and Mark 4:26-34) I love the Onion. So, when they put out a faux compilation of their work across the 20th century entitled “Our Dumb Century,” I had to have a copy. On the
Lection Reflections Are Christians Crazy? (Mark 3) (a Lection Reflection on Mark 3 and 2 Corinthians 4:13 - 5:1) Yes, that's a provocative title -- as in, for most people it provokes an immediate response. Based on recent incidents reported in the media, the response "hell yes" certainly might be appropriate. Nary a
Lection Reflections The Process of Being Born-ed (John 3) (a Lection Reflection on John 3) My wife and I have two grown sons. We have experienced many special, wondrous moments with each of them. I have to say, though, that one of the most amazing moments I have ever experienced was the moment when each of them was born.
Lection Reflections Dry Bones, Dry Drunks, Dry Churches, and Hope -- a Pentecost Reflection (A Lection Reflection on Ezekiel 37: 1-14) This week’s Old Testament lection is one of my favorites. The symbolism is powerful, the message of resurrection even more so. But, in the midst of the word of hope, there is also a warning — a warning that can apply to
Lection Reflections Cynics, Scoffers, Despair, and Me (Psalm 1) I am, by nature, a Pollyanna. I tend to look on the bright side, to see the good in everyone, to be Up most of the time. On the Enneagram, I am a Seven, which means life to me is just one big PB&J, to be enjoyed even
Lection Reflections We’re Only Loved If We Obey? (John 15) (A Lection Reflection on John 15:9-13) At first glance, this week’s lection looks less like the reassuring Jesus of the Farewell Discourse, and more like the “right strawy epistle” of James. Lots of “ifs” here: IF you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love; IF
Lection Reflections I John 3:18 -- Act or Career? "Love in word and deed." This week's Lection Reflection looks at that word "deed" – and finds a deeper meaning in the Greek. #lectionary
Lection Reflections The Right and The Wrong Way to Deny Yourself (A Lection Reflection on Mark 8:34) Since forever, humankind has been trying to propitiate an angry god. From sacrificing virgins, to self-flagellation, to whatever gift of obligation we can think up, we keep approaching the spiritual world as something to be paid off with a bribe. Then, once
Lection Reflections Lection Reflection: Processing the Transfiguration This week's passage is a very familiar one, and has been written and preached about so many times that there is not much for me to add. I will note, though, a couple of things that struck me.
Lection Reflections Gluttony -- We Don't Talk About It, But We Still Do It (A Lection Reflection on I Corinthians 6:12) It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a sermon, or a sermon series, on The Seven Deadly Sins. Perhaps the list and the concept are seen by some as “too Catholic.” Perhaps it seems too basic. Perhaps it is
Lection Reflections Seeing Others As Zeros (Luke 18:9) Years ago, there was a certain band-director who was known for building a winning program, no matter what it took. One tactic he used was to take coat hangers and shape them into a circle, with the hangar part made into a handle. If you messed up the marching
Lection Reflections Stop Being So Damn Needy! (a Lection Reflection on Luke 14) There's a great scene in Stephen King's memoir On Writing where he describes an incident between himself and his wife Tabitha, who is also an accomplished author in her own right. They were taking a trip, and Stephen was driving.
Lection Reflections Are We Part of the Oppression? OK, let's cut to the chase. This week's lections have two readings that present an easy-peasy contrast: Isaiah 58 and Luke 13. The Isaiah passage addresses religious people who act out the stage play of their religion (holding fasts), but then fail to act out
Lection Reflections Can We Get a Grown-Up View of Faith? (A Lection Reflection on Hebrews 11) Years ago, I read a book that immediately went onto my "key books" bookshelf: Good to Great by Jim Collins. The author and his team of researchers looked at pairs of companies in the same industries that at one time had been