Magnificent Marriage
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...
Get Off My Back
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...
Committed to What?
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...
Complaint
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...
Humility is …
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...
You and Me
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Epistle, James 3:13-4:10 James 3:13-4:10 We shared together last week that the letter of James is challenging. Doctrinally, yes. And practically as well. Why? Because James is gifted as he wields both Law and Gospel. And whenever the...
And So It Goes
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Old Testament, Jeremiah 11:18-20 Jeremiah 11:18-20 I love the Old Testament prophets. I think it’s their resilience. Some of them recognize that they are not prepared for their task. At least in their own estimation. Some have doubts. Some turn tail and...
Words with Umph
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, Mark 9:14-29 Mark 9:14-29 Our week’s readings have centered on the power of words. Good words, damaging words, even wasted words. All these are a reality in our daily lives. “Waste not, want not.&rdquo...
Ought Not
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost: Epistle, James 3:1-12 James 3:1-12 Our Old Testament lesson for the week put on display for us the “overlap” of God’s speech and that of His servants the prophets. Our epistle for the...
One and the Same
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost: Old Testament, Isaiah 50:4-10 Isaiah 50:4-10 When I took a class on Old Testament prophets in seminary, my professor emphasized that in our reading of the prophets we should come away with the sense that sometimes it’s hard to know who’s...
