Maundy Thursday command: Love and Serve

Maundy Thursday story gives us our job description 1Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2The devil had already put it into the heart […]

God wants to restore us

Jesus’ healing restores us to ourselves, each other When I was in seminary, the comment that I saw most often, in red pencil in the columns of the papers I wrote for my class for study of the Hebrew scriptures was: “Get out of the 20th century!” Today’s text: Mark 1:29-31 – Jesus heals Simon’s […]

Healthy Boundaries, Jesus-style

In this healing, Jesus changes the boundaries Today’s text: Mark 1:21-28 When we talk about personal relationships, one of the characteristics we consider are the boundaries we set. Boundaries help to define who we are; healthy boundaries help us to maintain a strong sense of ourselves, while allowing us to be in mutual relationships with […]

Expecting the Unexpected at the Temple of God

Text for the Day: Luke 2:22-40 – Simeon & Anna in the Temple Images of the Temple: Revealing an unexpected salvation Luke’s gospel draws the Temple in Jerusalem as an important symbol. The gospel opens at the Temple, where a priest named Zechariah is chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and […]

Mary, Did You Know?

Mary: A model of trust in God A song often sung at Christmas is called, “Mary, Did You Know?” The words are address to Mary, wondering, as she looks at her newborn son, whether she knew what his life would be like, what miracles he would perform, what suffering he would endure, and what he […]