Practice Sabbath, Show Compassion, Be Present
The lesson for today in what is an otherwise “summary section:” practice Sabbath, show compassion, and be present! … More Practice Sabbath, Show Compassion, Be Present
The lesson for today in what is an otherwise “summary section:” practice Sabbath, show compassion, and be present! … More Practice Sabbath, Show Compassion, Be Present
Mark’s narrative begins with with an introduction of Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah and Son of God. Jesus began his ministry by proclaiming the kingdom of God is near, and continued by teaching, healing, and exorcising. Now, in a pinnacle moment of the gospel, Jesus delegates this same messianic, saving work to the disciples. … More Happy Founding of the Church Day!
When people in the ancient stories crossed water, they were moving from something into something new – liberation, new mission, new creation. As the disciples move across the sea with Jesus, they are struck by a storm that interrupts there journey. But Jesus is there with them in the boat, and it is Jesus who invites them to greater understanding and faith. As we walk through the pandemic, do we recognize Jesus with us, or do we complain that he is asleep in the stern. … More A Little Grace to Dispel the Storm
Shalom means much more than “peace.” Or “peace” means much more than what we think it means. Since shalom means to convey that all is well with the world, all is just, all is fair, all is the way God means it to be, it ultimately means something more like, “What are you doing to make the world look more like God’s world than Caesar’s world?” … More Have you anything to eat?!
What are the doors that are locked in your life? What are the things that have kept you stuck in the same place? I’ll say it again, that’s just the starting place. Don’t judge it as good or bad, right or wrong. It’s just where you are and it’s the place Christ shows up. It happened twice in today’s gospel. Both times the disciples are in the same house behind the same locked doors and Jesus shows up. He stands in the midst of them. The walls and the locked doors of their house could not keep Jesus out. And the walls and locked doors of your house will not keep him out. … More Get Out of the House!
In the many ways your life and my life has changed and is different from last Easter, for good or for bad (or a mix of both), the story is still true! Regardless of who you are, what you’ve done, or left undone, Easter is still happening. The story was true yesterday, it is true today, and it will be true tomorrow. And while it may take months or even years for resurrection to free us, the promise of today is that God never leaves anyone in the darkness of the tomb. The stones of our lives are being rolled back, the tombs are being emptied, and the messenger is proclaiming the good news, “He has been raised; he is not here.” … More Two Easter Questions