April 17, 2022 Luke 24:1-12   Words from Greg Sterling’s most recent message to the community of alumni from Yale Divinity School keep ringing in my ears.  Usually, these messages from the Dean’s office aren’t filled with good news.  And, this one was no exception; Thomas Troeger had passed away.  The news hit me harder […]

April 10, 2022 Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 Luke 19:28-40   Ever hear of “Nominalism” or people called “nominalists”?  I probably did once upon a time in seminary or college, but I’m not 100% sure.  Well, the term came up in my reading throughout the week and now I’m pretty sure I suffer from Nominalism from time […]

March 27, 2022 Psalm 32 Luke 15:1-3, 11-32   I have often read this familiar story we call the “Prodigal Son” and taken comfort in one particular line.  It’s the words spoken by the father to the older son toward the end of the passage: “Son, you are always with me, and all that is […]

March 13, 2022 Psalm 27 Luke 13:31-35   Brian Zhand is one of those reformed evangelical church leaders whose Twitter posts and other writings I enjoy reading.  Last week he said, “If I could say one thing to Putin it would be this: ‘We will all come before the judgement seat of Christ.’” Generally, I’m […]

March 6, 2022 Luke 4:1-13   It’s the first Sunday of the season of Lent, that penitential and reflective time that’s meant to prepare us for a transformational Easter.  It’s a time launched by the lectionary each year with stories of the wilderness.  And, today is no different. We begin with day one of Moses […]

Feb. 27, 2022 Luke 9:28-43   Here’s some fun news for you.  It’s from a 2021 Barna Research survey.  In just 12 months the number of clergy who are “seriously considering leaving full time ministry” has risen by 9%.  And, the number of mainline clergy who are thinking of leaving is 51%.[1]  That’s the majority […]

Feb. 13, 2022 Jeremiah 17:5-10 Luke 6:17-26   A friend and colleague of mine returned from her Lilly Grant sabbatical a few months ago and just last week we were able to do some catching up.  I asked her, “After all the thought and intention that went into the design of your sabbatical, and after […]

Jan. 16, 2022 1 Cor. 12:1-11 John 2:1-11   Over the years people have told me that they have a hard time understanding the bible.  And, this is especially true when reading the letters of Paul.  Maybe it’s a bit easier these days with all of the various translations that are intended to put the […]

Dec. 5, 2021 Philippians 1:3-11 Luke 3:1-6   There’s an author I like who was recently interviewed in The Christian Century magazine.  The question concerned this author’s particular distaste for scholarly attempts to assemble a systematic theology of Paul from the various letters attributed to him in the bible.  The problem in doing that, he […]