Yesterday I reflected on Jesus’ parable where he said the kingdom of heaven is like a farmer who planted a wheat field with good seed. And an enemy comes along and sows weeds right in the mix. When the servants notice, they say to the master: “This field is not pure. Do you want us […]
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like someone who has planted a wheat field with good seed. And an enemy farmer comes along and sows weeds right in the mix. And both wheat and weeds begin to grow together. So some of the crop is good and will nourish […]
Proverbs 11:25 says, “A generous person will prosper. Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed!” It is amazing how often in the New Testament Paul’s letters include words of encouragement. He almost always opens his letters with thanksgiving for those to whom he is writing. And he almost always finds something supportive, something uplifting to share […]
When I lived in Jamaica, a couple of my neighbors kept a regular Sabbath. Everyone called him Smith, though I think that was his last name. Smith worked two jobs, and his wife was a full-time nursing student. She commuted an hour each day to Kingston for both work and school. They both led busy, […]
The Russian author, Fyodor Dostoevsky once wrote, “Be not forgetful of prayer. Every time you pray, if your prayer is sincere, there will be new feeling and new meaning in it; which will give you fresh courage, and you will understand that prayer is an education.” Perhaps you have heard the expression, “Prayer changes things.” […]
I remember sometime back riding in the car with my friend Hunter and we passed by a large cemetery. Hunter asked me, “So, how many dead do you suppose are in this place.” “I don’t know,” I replied. He said, “How about all of them!” We laughed hard, but underneath the lightness, his joke was […]
Jesuit Priest Gregory Boyle says that in the Monastic tradition, the highest form of sanctity is to experience hell, and not lose hope. That’s not easy, is it? It is not easy to trust that somehow, some way, God is going to make this right… That doesn’t mean that things will always turn out in […]
Many of you will remember the story of Joseph – that is Joseph with the coat of many colors. Or, Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat – if you saw the Broadway Musical. You may remember that he was betrayed by his brothers, and sold into slavery. Somehow he ascends to a place of great […]
There’s an old apocryphal story about a boy named John who entered his first science fair in second grade. His Mom had a green thumb, so they decided to experiment with the growth of plants. They took two small green plants and placed one on a sunny windowsill and the other in a cardboard box. […]
As a pastor, I have the privilege of being with people at the end of their lives. This is always a reminder to me that life is short and that our time here is just a breath. Sometimes near the end of life, people will want to talk about what’s been most important in their […]
