Convinced
Before St. Paul begins his best-known chapter – the one about love, 1 Corinthians 13 – he finishes the 12th chapter with this, “I will show you a more excellent way.” Given all of the division and vitriol that has become a normalized part of life, we might need to...
Rendezvous
Whether we’re meeting God for the first time or the eighty-second time there’s a reliable rendezvous available to us. It’s at the intersection of our failing strength, fraying faith, and God’s understanding and power. This crossroad is where God infuses our expiring...
Unclean
As Jesus teaches in the synagogue he is interrupted by a man with an “unclean spirit.” When we see those two words in scripture it means a demonic spirit. A spirit that is not love. A spirit that opposes God. A spirit that harms the community and the host. Unclean...
Both
Simon and Andrew “immediately” dropped their net and joined Jesus’ friend making campaign. To my mind, either Jesus was exceedingly compelling, or their discontent with their occupation was peaking or both? Sometimes we can think of these bible stories in too pristine...
Magnify
They call Mary’s song/poem/rap the “Magnificat.” For many of us, it hits the ear the way hot chocolate hits the throat on a cold day. But, that’s only if we aren’t paying attention. Did you know Mary’s song/poem/rap was outlawed in more than a few...
Clarity
I guess I’m getting old. You read something and an image or song comes to mind that’s dated. That dates you. I hear John the Baptist’s story and I think of Perry Mason. Only the old folks will get that, the rest of you, well, thank God for Google. I see him standing...
Foolish
Being a follower of Jesus is choosing to be foolish. Not a fool, but foolish. A fool is someone who has been duped or ignorant. Being foolish for and with Jesus is neither of those things. It’s the opposite of those things. Foolish is a wisdom that flows from knowing...
Thankful
They say “that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” But, 2020 has been tough. And we’re not out of the woods yet. It’s been easier to pay attention to racism, politics, or public health than to pay attention...