Beloved Dust
You would think that Christians, we who believe in a God who in Jesus became human, a child of the universe and made from the dust of the earth—a God who became kin not just...
Sitting in Dust
God, from our beginnings in the garden, knew that we would tend to be self-centered, need to put ourselves in God’s place. And God knew that would not go well for us and for God’s...
A Revelation of Hope
God created the rivers, oceans, lakes, and streams—incubators of life from the watery depths of the sea to the watery darkness of the womb. In the beginning it was over the water that God’s Spirit...
She Said No
That the courage of women who speak up, say no, and claim their dignity will never be rewarded. This whole sordid story, this routine dehumanization of women, is as old as time. And as old...
Finding Your Cross
We can be as good as gold, and still we suffer. Goodness is no protection from pain. This is something that should be screamingly obvious to those of us who call ourselves Christian. Jesus was...
Offended? Good!
Jesus was not nice—much of what he had to say, much of what he did, was offensive to his disciples, and to us. Gentle, nice people do not end up on a cross. In the...
David, Bathsheba, & Nathan
Last week we celebrated the Feast of Mary Magdalene. And I talked about how striking it is that almost no women get to tell their own story in the Bible. And not only do they...
She Who Was Sent to Preach
Despite the fact that Mary was the first apostle, the one to whom Jesus first appeared after being raised from the dead, she has not until now had an official feast day. The reason is...
Wine, Power, and Keeping your Head
The stories of John and Jesus overlap repeatedly. Both have unusual conceptions. Both grow up to be truth tellers who disturb the peace. Both threaten the powers that be and pay for it with their...
Only Believe
There have been times in my life I have been suffering and I would surely have loved one of Jesus’ miracles. There are times I have sat helplessly next to people who are suffering and...