Why would you ever talk to them? There are lots of those folks. The writer of Mark calls them “tax collectors.” I have other names for them. You do, too. Just imagine […]
I was tempted to skip this particular passage, or to follow it with nothing but a blank devotional—the visual version of a woman being silent in church. But instead, I’d […]
In May, I was blessed to go to Japan through the UCC Board of Global Ministries. I studied the rich and complex history of the church in Japan, volunteered with […]
There was a moment circa 1995 when everybody was inexplicably listening to Gregorian chant. Some Spanish monks had released this album, Chant, and it became a multiplatinum bestseller. I don’t […]
The cozy white church is miles from any town on a long stretch of country road. When I first arrived as pastor and looked around, I noticed a portable toilet […]
The first-ever-recorded Category 5 June hurricane appeared earlier this summer. Hurricane Beryl started in Africa and traveled 6,000 miles through the Caribbean, Texas, and the Midwest before drowning its two […]
What gift of life have you already received today? Was it an amazing sunrise or simply a cup of coffee? A long walk or just getting out of bed? Maybe […]
On the last day of Bible study class before summer break, after months of rich conversation and seemingly endless theological debates, a critical question remained before us: If you had […]
On the pulpit of a small church in Scotland, I found an image of the burning bush and a Latin inscription: nec tamen consumebatur. Moses was keeping the flock of […]
During an ordination interview, a candidate was challenged about self-care. Had he been working hard enough at working less? [Jesus said] “Come to me, all you who are weary and […]
