Religious people, Christians included, spend quite a bit of time and resources deciding who is “in” and who is “out.” In these three stories from Matthew 9, we find a Jesus who welcomes and engages with some of the least…
The earliest days of the Christian movement were ones filled with awe and wonder. Churches have been trying to return to this “feel” for centuries. Sometimes we get it dialed in and other times we are just a little lost.…
The beginnings of the church are not something clouded in secrecy and closed doors. The movement of God is public and open. God is openly at work in the lives of human beings. As a mission movement, Christians would do…
We all obey others for a variety of reasons. Seldom do those reasons have to do with love. We are too often governed by power, guilt, shame, and control. Jesus offers a new way of being faithful which is by…
For too many of us, our past trauma, pain, and shame keep us from the freedom God seeks for our lives. In this week's episode, Jesus meets seven of his friends and provides for them in ways they could never…
I am a regular viewer of the AppleTV show Ted Lasso. Like many others, I found this gem of television during the pandemic. Its authentic way of holding story through all its characters is a remarkable feat of writing and…
Hardship and suffering are to be avoided! The human survival instinct is a hard one to transform. Peter tells us how Jesus was able to face suffering in a transformational way. This way of suffering is a long game in…
On the very first Easter Sunday Jesus made many appearances. Two followers of Jesus were returning home after the stunning events surrounding Jesus' death. As they make their way, Jesus appears and opens their hearts and minds to a new…
Is being called a “Doubting Thomas” really fair? When Jesus first appears to the disciples, Thomas is not there. All he asks is to be included the same way his friends had been included. Doubt is an important and healthy…
Belief and faith are mysterious things. They grow and evolve in each of us as human beings. We can often mistake a “breakthrough” as a conclusion. The opposite is quite true. Breakthroughs of faith will lead us into new seasons…