Worship God. Form Faith. Live Love.
While a focus on “calling” in the story of God calling Samuel is both obvious and important, this story also emphasizes a major transition point for both Samuel and Israel: from ignorance to knowledge of the word of the LORD. … Continue reading
October offers rich opportunities for churches to engage faith and community through blessings, banned books, LGBTQ+ inclusion, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and family-friendly Halloween celebrations. October is a busy time of year—the back-to-school and fall programming rush has ended, but as … Continue reading
In the desert, the Israelites had a real worry: starvation. What they didn’t have was trust that God would provide for them. Even with their complaining, God gave them a miracle of enough. Thus Far This marks the fifth reading … Continue reading
In Exodus, God gave Moses God’s name: I AM WHO I AM. With God’s name, we can call upon God in prayer and worship. The gift of God’s name is a gift of relationship. In the Beginning This reading marks … Continue reading
Through a pair of stews, Jacob cheats his (slightly) older brother Esau out of his birthright and blessing. Despite this bad behavior, God chooses to continue God’s promise to Abraham through Jacob and his descendants. In the Beginning The Hebrew … Continue reading
Why does God test Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac? And what if God’s test was really about Abraham (and all of us) learning to say no to sacrificing those closest to us? What Do We Do … Continue reading
Which direction will you go as you teach and preach Genesis 1? You can focus on who God is, who we are, God’s joy in creation, or our role as stewards. The Narrative Lectionary, Spirit & Truth, and Forming Faith … Continue reading
A community built on love is a community in shalom (God’s peace). How do we reach for that? By working for justice. God’s will, God’s kingdom, can be glimpsed in true justice. God’s Kingdom Come Series Each summer, I take … Continue reading
Shalom is more than peace as we understand it. It is a communal wholeness, reality as God intends creation to be. It is a description of God’s kingdom. God’s Kingdom Come Series Each summer, I take time away from commenting … Continue reading
The Hebrew word hesed represents a critical concept in understanding the kingdom of God. It is difficult to translate, but it is basically active love within the context of a covenantal community. Summer Series As you might know, I write … Continue reading