It was a reversal…from what you would normally expect. It was a startling message “then.” It was controversial. It was a “how could he say that” – kind of story! It was a shaking of the foundation. A lawyer…more like a “high brow professor” of the Torah came to Jesus and asked a question. They […]

Our world hurts. People are hurting. Our world and its people have no shortage of wounds that are in need of healing. This is universal. The street-name-changes. The hurt does not. North Avenue and Center Street are not the only streets where violence occurs. Violence, hatred, bigotry, prejudice, intolerance, abuse can raise its ugly head […]

It is so easy to overlook the little things…in life. It is so easy to take “things” for granted… including people… There is “so much on our plates” some days…that we do not always see the blessing that are directly before us… The “little stuff” matters…it all matters, everything matters…get used to it! And some […]

…If you are a person of faith… Cling to that faith. Embrace it. Hold on to it. Allow no one to take it from you. It is yours. Own it. Bask in it. Give thanks to God for it! When we think of Jesus’ followers we usually think of the twelve disciples (only later called, […]

I am not sure if you ever heard this before, stories about wolves are common throughout Eurasia and North America. They can be found among most peoples. It is “the nature of the wolf” to be a “predator,” it is often associated with “danger and destruction,” making it the symbol of “a warrior” on the […]

This really truly is a text about “discipleship” and following Jesus… It is not easy, by-the-way! Jesus is taking “his show” on the road. He is headed toward Jerusalem. That means that “a show down” is imminent. It is “all” a matter of time. But first, he has to get to the Holy City, itself. […]

Our Gospel text for this weekend teaches “tolerance” like perhaps no other Biblical passage. It is a story about those famous sons of Zebedee, James and John, aka, “the sons of thunder.” They were known for their “quick and hot tempers.” They would be “the intolerant ones…” They would also be the “chided ones…” Jesus […]

I would like to talk with you about prayer. I do so, by introducing you to a King of Israel you may not be familiar with…King Hezekiah. (The kids in Sunday School learned about him this past year!) Hezekiah was the 13th King of Judah during the time of the divided kingdom. After the reigns […]

There was a little old lady who would come out every morning on the steps of her front porch, raise her head to the sky and shout out, “Praise the Lord!” Thank you, Jesus! One day an atheist moved into the house next door. Over time he became more and more irritated and perturbed with […]

Please allow me to apologize first. I do get carried away, sometimes… Being fiscally conservative and watching every penny, can be a curse as well as a blessing…my immediate concern was for “the value” of the pigs that were lost. This would have had a huge “economic impact” not only on “the immediate village,” but […]