Lent is a lot of things to a lot of people. But at its heart, Lent is a gracious invitation to take an honest look in the mirror of self-reflection, muster up the courage to allow the Holy Spirit pick out those attitudes and behaviors that are separating you from God and those around you,Continue reading “Ash Wednesday: The Past Comes Knocking”
Tag Archives: healing
Flawed Heroes
Only seven weeks into our look at the biblical story of God and us, and already, a sad, gloomy cycle of broken relationship between heaven and earth has taken hold. An ever-faithful God is doing what only heaven can do to try and corral the ever-growing ranks of unfaithful mavericks among God’s people. But theContinue reading “Flawed Heroes”
The Scapegoat
The glass shattered with a nauseating pop. And somewhere on the other side of a broken garage window, my cousin’s carelessly tossed rock landed with a sickening thump. My cousin and I sprinted like mad down an alleyway hoping to find some cover. And over our shoulders, an angry voice cried out after us: “Hey,Continue reading “The Scapegoat”
Liberty Isn’t Lawless Living
Standing bare-footed before a burning bush and attending nervously to the address of God, the Old Testament prophet Moses receives a daunting task: “Go and free my people from slavery in Egypt.” Thus said the Lord in the Scripture lesson from the book of Exodus that we heard last Sunday. Moses reluctantly obeys his intimidatingContinue reading “Liberty Isn’t Lawless Living”
Holy Cow and Zoinks!
For the past two Sundays of Advent, scenes from the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel have been moving us toward Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus. In both scenes, the angel Gabriel has been hard at work bringing incredible news to unlikely recipients. First, Gabriel visits the AARP-card-carrying Zechariah and Elizabeth and shares the surprisingContinue reading “Holy Cow and Zoinks!”
A Pink Cowboy
Pretend for a moment that a cold winter’s night finds you snuggled into your living-room recliner under a comfy blanket. And as you surf through the channels on TV, you stumble into the middle of movie. Two cowboys are standing about 30 yards apart in the middle of a dusty street. The men’s hands hangContinue reading “A Pink Cowboy”
Do You Reject Sin and Evil?
A group of our members will be confirming their faith in worship on October 3, and during that celebration, each of them will be asked to respond “yes” to reaffirm the three questions of baptism. In baptism and confirmation, we first say “yes” to turning away from sin, then “yes” to the lordship and salvationContinue reading “Do You Reject Sin and Evil?”
A Raw Deal
In January of 2004, the carcass of a dead, 56-foot-long whale washed up on a beach along the southwestern coast of Taiwan. The decaying remains lay on the sand for two weeks until authorities finally decided to haul the dead whale to a lab for an autopsy. According to news reports, it took 50 workersContinue reading “A Raw Deal”
Every Which Way But Loose
Pound for pound, this morning’s Scripture lesson from the Gospel of Mark packs quite the punch. This strange story of a man who daily lives with the unraveling of his mind easily ranks right up there with the most bizarre stories in the Bible. A man named Legion is labeled demonical, and the town residentsContinue reading “Every Which Way But Loose”
Dear Diary
Suffice it to say that preachers over the years have not been kind to the woman who takes centerstage in this morning’s lesson. All we know from the Gospel of John is that she’s had five husbands, and in the setting of this story, the man with whom she’s now living is not her husband.Continue reading “Dear Diary”