Relax
Most of us don’t do a very good job of loving ourselves, though we and may do a better job of loving others, or at least behaving ourselves for the sake of those around us....
Hope and Change
There certainly are many places in the gospels where we are enjoined to have more faith, and are even told that faith makes all things possible. I just have trouble accepting the idea of faith...
Look at the Birds of the Air… and the Squirrels
We live at a time in human history where we are slowly coming to an awareness of the vulnerability of the natural world. For generations, those who raise crops or rely on the availability of...
Does Prayer “Work?”
Many of us may harbor a degree of skepticism regarding the power of prayer to accomplish what seems to be promised. And, for all of the sermons and classes and books describing Christian prayer, we...
Tradition
Tradition is the anchor of our identity. But it can also be the oppressor of what seeks to emerge as new and to liberate those confined to a regressive way of doing things.
Look on the Bright Side
In Luke’s gospel today, Jesus takes a somewhat rare definitive position by stating that bad things can happen to innocent people, and that the tragedies of life do not constitute punishment for bad behavior. That...
Who Are My Enemies?
The very idea of quickly forgiving someone who was guilty of a terrible crime seemed obscene, even a violation in itself of a greater ethical standard of justice. I could not honestly predict how I...
A Season of Anger?
Advent is most often called a season of Hope, but there is more to the story. The season also speaks to the necessary disruption of the routine of life, the clashing of agendas of power,...
Bread and Dependency
On this very day, millions of people will be physically hungry, and in the face of such deprivation, thinking about the reality of spiritual hunger can seem like the very definition of privilege. But many...
Inferiority Complex
Christianity was born in a difficult environment and faced daunting challenges in attaining a place of security and respect within the cultural landscape. Christians were literally mocked for worshiping a leader who not only laid...