This morning is the day after the 2018 mid-term elections. It was a mixed result in that the Democrats took the House and Republicans retained the Senate but (likely) increased by 3 seats. The state elections went similarly. Some from both parties are devastated and others will no doubt declare the further death of our […]
Whenever I hear the word priorities, I think of Ron Weasley (in the movie version, at least) saying that Hermione, who privileges learning above all else, “needs to get her priorities sorted.” The comment is a bit subversive, it is very amusing, but I have a more serious challenge today. American Christians: we need to […]
“Oh my gosh! Is that a…woman?!” This brief post began as a response to a comment on my earlier post “Age in the Book of Ruth and a Proxy Marriage?” The commentator very simply stated that the marriage between Ruth and Boaz was because “a baby needed to be born to preserve the line of […]
What does Jesus really mean when he says “whoever is not against us is for us”? This concept comes up in the Gospel reading for this past Sunday, Mark 9:38-40 (Proper 21, Yr. B), and in the parallel in Luke 9:49-50. (Matt. 12:30 and Luke 11:23 have a similar, yet different phrase in a different […]
I continue to wrestle not only with the issue of suffering and grace, but also the book I am attempting to write on the matter. What tone should I take? Should it be more academic, more of a personal reflection, or more essay based? The following is part of the latter effort. Walking in Grace […]
Proper 18 (23) (September 9, 2018) First reading and PsalmProverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23Psalm 125Second readingJames 2:1-10, (11-13), 14-17GospelMark 7:24-37 Etching by P. del Po after Annibale Carracci. Wellcome Library, London. 7:27 He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to […]
My good friend and fellow scholar and clergy member Dr. Richard Wright has started a new(ish) blog with Greek and Hebrew resources following the Lectionary, Plenum creaturis. Rick has provided notes on the Hebrew (Aramaic) and Greek texts assigned for the given week based upon the Revised Common Lectionary. It is well worth looking at […]
Proper 7 (12) (June 24, 2018) Alternate First reading and Psalm Job 38:1-11 Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32 Second reading 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 Gospel Mark 4:35-41 4:39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. … 41 And they […]
Year B – Season after Pentecost Proper 6 (11) (June 17, 2018) Fourth Sunday after Pentecost Readings: 1 Samuel 15:34 – 16:13 Psalm 20 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, (11-13), 14-17 Mark 4:26-34 Kingdoms Rise and Kingdoms Fall But We Go On As I was reflecting upon our readings this morning I was reminded of a line, […]
This is the bones of my sermon from this past weekend (Sunday, June 10, 2018). I shared a few more stories interspersed, but this is the substance of the sermon. Mental health issues are as real as cancer and should be considered as such. I have known far too many Christians who view depression, anxiety, bipolar, addiction, […]
