Forward Day By Day – October 22, 2018

Monday, October 22, 2018

Ben Sira writes Ecclesiasticus at a time when many Jews are becoming aware of Hellenic (Greek) culture but are still committed to their Jewish roots, including the study of Torah. Ben Sira is particularly concerned about young people, who seem attracted to the Greek...

Forward Day By Day – October 21, 2018

Sunday, October 21, 2018

James and John want a piece of the glory Jesus will attain. They eagerly affirm willingness to endure the suffering and death awaiting Jesus, but without understanding that “the cup” and “the baptism” Jesus speaks of are the inevitable and necessary steps preceding...

Forward Day By Day – October 20, 2018

Saturday, October 20, 2018

There is a cinematic quality to this episode in Acts, with Paul expounding day and night before large numbers of Jewish elders, trying to persuade them to accept Christ. Much like in the parable of the sower, a portion of the seed Paul disperses to his listeners falls...

Forward Day By Day – October 19, 2018

Friday, October 19, 2018

When Jesus prays, momentous things occur. After Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit descends on him while he prays (Luke 3:21-22); Jesus selects the twelve apostles after an entire night spent in prayer (6:12-16); and Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah takes place...

Forward Day By Day – October 18, 2018

Thursday, October 18, 2018

My doctor and I are not friends, but we need each other. I need her care to maintain good health, and she needs me to support her practice. I do not know whether my doctor is a person of faith, but she is a member of God’s community of healers.Many scholars believe...

Forward Day By Day – October 17, 2018

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

The man and woman knocking on my door were extremely polite. They seemed nonthreatening, so I invited them in. Seated at my dining table, they spread out their colorful and well-designed literature about the Bible and Jesus Christ. We were Christians with differing...

Forward Day By Day – October 16, 2018

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

I can barely read or listen to the news these days. Why does God seem to be missing in action? The poor keep taking it on the chin, but God seems far away and out of earshot of the cries.And then I remember that in the sweep of human history and in my own life, evil...

Forward Day By Day – October 15, 2018

Monday, October 15, 2018

He was filthy. One shoeless foot was blackened and thickly callused. He barked incoherent utterances. A woman exiting the train gave him an unopened bag of chips. “Thank you, and God bless you,” he said. For a moment, this subway demoniac was “made whole.”Demons cause...

Forward Day By Day – October 14, 2018

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Do we own our possessions or do they own us?Contrasted with his other calls to discipleship where Jesus simply says, “Come after me,” or “Follow me,” his call to the rich man to give up his wealth shocks us as much as it shocks the rich man. For two cultures where...

Forward Day By Day – October 13, 2018

Saturday, October 13, 2018

We tend to forget that we are dust, mere mortals, puffs of wind, and passing shadows. For all of our grand plans and mighty deeds, each of us is, in the words of Macbeth, “a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more.” Or are...