Sunday, February 24, 2019
One day after my fourth-grade flag football practice, Dad made a comment that stuck with me. “This family isn’t known for being good at sports.” He wasn’t saying it to be mean, but it was a hard comment to shake. I couldn’t help but wonder, “If I don’t come from an...
Saturday, February 23, 2019
On February 14, 1990, the Voyager I space probe photographed Earth from more than six billion kilometers away. This iconic image is known as the Pale Blue Dot, showing Earth as the tiniest of dots in a single beam of light. Astronomer Carl Sagan gave a moving lecture...
Friday, February 22, 2019
We live in a culture of instant gratification. Most of the time what can be had now is chosen over what can be had later. Our immediate desires overshadow the needs of others. We see this on a global scale. When we are honest, we also see this on a personal scale. You...
Thursday, February 21, 2019
A trap has been set for Jesus in our gospel passage today. He asks those setting the trap to show him a coin. As we have come to expect, Jesus’ answer about taxes is brilliant. The coin in question bears the image and title of the emperor. The coin, therefore, belongs...
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Early religious expressions usually contained elements of sacrificial worship. Successful crops required making an offering to the appropriate god and waiting to see if it was accepted in the form of a bountiful harvest. If the harvest was good, the same offering was...
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, many of us were introduced to a new safety mantra: If you see something, say something. There is another way to use this phrase, one that humans of all backgrounds have affirmed throughout the centuries. When you see...
Monday, February 18, 2019
This bit of Psalm 89 always reminds me of Jesus and his disciples in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. The sea is calm, and since Jesus has been busy teaching and healing, he takes a nap. As the wind picks up and the waves begin to swell, fear sets in. The disciples...
Sunday, February 17, 2019
Noah is a fascinating biblical character tasked with building a giant boat in preparation for a massive flood—one no one else sees coming. Imagine living near Noah when he is beginning to gather materials for the ark. What do you say to a man attempting a project of...
Saturday, February 16, 2019
We repeat things for lots of reasons. We repeat things we simply cannot believe. And we repeat things that we cannot believe—but want to. In some translations of the evening psalm, “For his steadfast love endures for ever” is repeated in every single verse. During...
Friday, February 15, 2019
While running errands together last week, my daughter started talking about her college plans. She’s only four years old, so she doesn’t quite get the college experience yet, but she enjoys talking about it nonetheless. “I want to go to a college with lots of trees. I...
