Who’s got the power? Is it the unclean spirit (whatever that is) possessing the man in the synagogue? Is it Jesus, who tells him to get lost? Power without limits makes us a little wild. It’s exhilarating and it goes to our head. Jesus gives us the power to say NO to destructive power, and […]
Good news, bad news; which do you want first? In a world filled with things labeled as good news, we are hungry for truly good news that is more than just empty words. In Jesus, God’s expansive, powerful, healing love has come near to this broken world. This good news turns us around and catches […]
When there’s a baptism, you know the Spirit is in the air. Whether it’s a baby or an older child or an adult, unexpected things have a way of happening at a baptism. In Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit tears open the heavens and comes down, possessing him and directing his life from that moment […]
The story of the mysterious Three Wise Kings…are they for real? The story of the magi visiting Jesus and his family has many layers of tradition and legend built up over the blank spaces of the story. But what is most important for us today? There is a place in this story for all of […]
The Christmas story is full of signs pointing every which way. Signs pointing away from the emperor, the governor, the king, the powers that be in Rome and Jerusalem, and pointing toward a manger in Bethlehem. The angel tells the shepherds to look for a relatively ordinary baby as their sign, but God loves to […]
Comfort, O comfort my people, sings Isaiah to the Jewish people in exile in Babylon, wondering if they will ever see home again. Prepare the way of the Lord, cries John the Baptist in the wilderness, promising a fresh start for those who are tired of the status quo. Their voices, separated by centuries, join […]
Welcome to the end of the world as we know it—and the beginning of something new. Our readings sound the alarm but also end with a word of hope: God will not forget humankind. The barrier between heaven and earth will be torn open. Christ will come again to make God’s dream of justice and […]
Calling Jesus a king is ironic. His power exceeds any earthly king’s, but it’s not about being placed over others, to make them do as he wishes. His power is expressed through love, through compassion, through being with those at the bottom of the pyramid, not the top. In today’s readings, we hear that Jesus […]
Weddings are full of excitement, as well as expectations (spoken and unspoken) and stress. Today Jesus tells a parable about ten bridesmaids with an important wedding task that consumes all their focus. They forget that their joyful presence is the most important way to welcome others to the wedding feast. We also worry about what […]
Our saints are not only our loved ones who have gone on ahead of us (as important as they may be). Saints are those who taught us what it means to have hope in Christ. They persisted in dreaming the impossible dream of a world filled with God’s peace and reconciliation and healing. They showed […]