One of Those
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, Mark 10:17-22 Mark 10:17-22 Stunning. Simply stunning. This is one of those pieces of Holy Scripture, when you read it you simply cannot be in the middle. It’s...
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, Mark 10:17-22 Mark 10:17-22 Stunning. Simply stunning. This is one of those pieces of Holy Scripture, when you read it you simply cannot be in the middle. It’s...
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost: Epistle, Hebrews 3:12-19 Hebrews 3:12-19 The first couple of verses of our epistle reading this week are harrowing, but hopeful. “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart...
Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost: Old Testament, Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 Beware the “minor” prophets. That book of twelve authors that closes the Old Testament I’ve written before that the “minor” label can be...
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, Mark 10:2-16 Mark 10:2-16 Last night was one of those “aha” moments reading the Bible. Looking over the gospel text for the week, I honestly noticed for the first...
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: Psalm, Psalm 128 Psalm 128 The psalms of ascent were sung by Israel as they went to festival in the city of the Great King. Most of them are brief, many are...
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: Old Testament, Genesis 2:18-25 Genesis 2:18-25 Marriage is good. It is established by God. And the “liturgy” of the first marriage will never be improved upon. The first...
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, Mark 9:38-50 Mark 9:38-50 I don’t like this text. I remember a very graphic example of sin being verbally put on display at one of my seminary chapels. The speaker talked candidly about...
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Epistle, James 5:13-20 James 5:13-20 Recently I heard a pastor online speaking about the issue of seeing the Bible as a true authority. Our final authority. For in Scripture, we read and hear the voice of the living God who has chosen to reveal Himself and...
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Old Testament, Numbers 11: 4-6, 10-16, 24-29 Numbers 11: 4-6, 10-16, 24-29 How often do you complain? I know that’s a blunt question. A bit in your face. I am including myself in the “you” above, so I admit to my sin of...
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, Mark 9:30-37 Mark 9:30-37 Power is a challenge. Maybe a better thought: power is temptation. Behind its allure, at no matter what level or position, are all manner of ugly manifestations of...