Matthew 28:17 seems to me to be one of the most honest descriptions of Jesus’s disciples in the entire Bible. They have followed him from their fishing boats to the upper room.
Connections 05.28.2023: Receive the Holy Spirit
May 21, 2023 by
Our lesson title, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” comes from John 20:22, when Jesus breathes on his frightened disciples and blesses them with a new power that will remain even after he is no longer physically present.
Connections 05.21.2023: On Their Behalf
May 14, 2023 by
Many of us have probably had the experience of someone praying for us by name, in person, right in front of (or next to) us. Maybe they’re even holding our hands or laying hands on our heads or shoulders.
Connections 05.14.2023: Making a Home
May 7, 2023 by
In 22 years as a military family, my family has had a lot of homes. We are old hands at moving in and moving out.
Connections 05.07.2023: “Believe in Me”
April 30, 2023 by
Our lesson text encapsulates what, for me, are the two sides of the coin of faith: hope and doubt.
Connections 04.30.2023: Seeking Understanding
April 23, 2023 by
Jesus regularly teaches his listeners—whether his devoted followers or his frustrated (and frustrating) detractors—using metaphors.
Connections 04.23.2023: Doing Something
April 16, 2023 by
When I was about fifteen years old, the movie Dead Poets Society came out and changed my life—at least, it sure felt like it.
Connections 04.16.2023: The Hope of Christ in Grief
April 9, 2023 by
What’s the most powerful sermon you can remember? I remember one in particular. I was still in high school and had slept over at a friend’s house on New Year’s Eve.
Connections 04.09.2023: “Who Are You Looking For?”
April 2, 2023 by
If the question of Palm Sunday—“Who is this?”—is a good one, the question of Easter may be a better one.
Connections 04.02.2023: Who Is This?
March 26, 2023 by
There are Scriptures we can hear spoken aloud in worship—and sung about in hymns—and acted out in children’s pageants—and taught about in studies and sermons.
Connections 03.26.2023: Restoration
March 19, 2023 by
As I grew up, skeletons always made me think of Halloween. Whether it was a homemade costume, flexible paper decorations hanging on school walls, or plastic bones sticking out of the yard.
Connections 03.19.2023: How Long, O Lord?
March 12, 2023 by
At least fifteen times in the Psalms, the psalmist asks God “How long?” How long will God allow God’s people to suffer (Ps 4)? How long will God hide God’s face (Ps 13)?
Connections 03.12.2023: In Remembrance
March 5, 2023 by
In Exodus, there is a refrain: the Hebrew people are to tell their children what God did to save them from slavery in Egypt. But the exodus isn’t the only thing the people are supposed to remember.
Connections 03.05.2023: Movement
February 26, 2023 by
When we feel comfortable somewhere—we know the layout of the place, the character of the people, the dependency of the routines—it’s hard to think about leaving.
Connections 02.26.2023: For All We Know
February 19, 2023 by
The narrative of the Garden of Eden makes a great children’s story. It’s ideal for picture books: the flowing blues of water and sky, with the shining sun, moon, and stars in their courses.
Connections 02.19.2023: We’ve Heard It All Before
February 12, 2023 by
People who have grown up in church, been regular Sunday School attenders, or listened to enough sermons based on the three-year cycle of the Revised Common Lectionary may feel like they’ve heard it all before.
Connections 01.22.2023: Jesus’s Ministry Begins
January 15, 2023 by
It must be a sobering moment for Jesus. He has just spent time on his own in the wilderness, enduring and overcoming the devil’s temptations. Now he comes back to civilization to learn that his cousin John has been arrested.
Connections 01.15.2023: Letting Them Go
January 8, 2023 by
All four Gospels tell stories that include John the Baptist. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus’s cousin John shows up several times.
Connections 01.08.2023: Who Jesus Is
January 1, 2023 by
The four Gospels record many similar depictions of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, and each writer also includes unique parts of Jesus’s story. When we study the Bible, we remember that the similarities and differences between the Gospels are important.
Connections 01.01.2023: Beginning a New Year
December 25, 2022 by
Jesus’s life began in great drama. His earthly parents rushed to be counted for the census only to get stuck in Bethlehem as Mary started having labor pains.
Connections 12.25.2022: Pondering Traditions
December 18, 2022 by
The other day I saw a social media post aimed at newly married folks. It said, in effect, whatever you do, you do not question your spouse’s family’s Christmas traditions.
Connections 12.18.2022: What is Love?
December 11, 2022 by
In this final week of Advent, our wait for Christmas Day is in single digits. The winter solstice, the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, is here.
Connections 12.11.2022: Having Patience
December 4, 2022 by
We are often a backward-looking or forward-looking society. It’s hard to stay in the present. Many of us spend lots of time thinking about past decisions, memories, or events that we wish we could do over.
Connections 12.04.2022: Seeking Peace
November 27, 2022 by
There are several different ways to “name” the four traditional weeks of Advent as we move closer to the celebration of Jesus’s birth. The most familiar is probably the quartet of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.
Connections 11.27.2022: Counting Down
November 20, 2022 by
When I was growing up in the Olden Days (you know, the 1980s), my family didn’t celebrate the church season of Advent. Once Thanksgiving was over and December 1 came, we went straight into red and green overload.
Connections 11.20.2022: A Promise of Home
November 13, 2022 by
Imagine being exiled away from your homeland—from all you know, all that feels familiar, all that makes you comfortable.
Connections 11.13.2022: Remembering to Forget
November 6, 2022 by
Where I live, the autumn trees have been spectacular this year and every time the wind blows a flurry of red and gold leaves spill to the ground. The trees are letting go until next spring.
Connections 11.06.2022: Looking Back and Working Toward
October 30, 2022 by
For the past several Sundays, the church my family attends has been gearing up for a time of visioning: where are we being called in the months and years ahead?
Connections 10.30.2022: So Stay Faithful
October 23, 2022 by
If we think about just the past decade in our world, we might feel inclined to say with Habakkuk, “Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.”
Connections 10.23.2022: God in the Midst
October 16, 2022 by
The “end times” are big business. When I was in youth group in the 1980s, we had a leader who was really into end-times stuff. At lock-ins we watched ‘70s-era apocalypse movies, and for many years I carried a bookmark in my Bible describing all the possible tribulation timelines.
Connections 10.16.2022: The (Im)possible Dream
October 9, 2022 by
The books of the Old Testament prophets are sprinkled with visions through which God communicates to these dedicated messengers. We may be so familiar with the stories of prophetic visions that we are no longer impressed or amazed by them.
Connections 10.09.2022: Practical Steps in Tough Times
October 2, 2022 by
This passage from Jeremiah contains some of the most quoted and most hopeful verses in the Bible. If you ever feel discouraged about where you are in life, just read Jeremiah 29:11-14a.
Connections 10.02.2022: One Quiet Hope
September 25, 2022 by
The book of Lamentations is a book for the people. Five long poems of lament put a whole community’s grief into words as the people of Israel come to terms with their exile from their home in God’s holy land.
Connections 09.25.2022: Entitlement into Eternity
September 18, 2022 by
If I use enough imagination, do a bit of mental gymnastics, I can always find myself in the “good guy” in Jesus’ parables.
Connections 09.18.2022: Financial Shrewdness
September 11, 2022 by
Last year, my husband and I decided to take on the expensive project of replacing the siding and windows of our home. We were unable to pay the company the entire amount upfront, and we didn’t want to take out a loan and pay interest to a bank.
Connections 09.11.2022: About Us, or For Us?
September 4, 2022 by
One of the wonderful things about Jesus’ parables is the way we can find ourselves in them. When Jesus tells a story about a prodigal child, or a faithful servant, or a lost sheep, we can take encouragement from the ways Jesus shows his real-life love.
Connections 09.04.2022: Sound Bites and “Supposes”
August 28, 2022 by
I suspect most of us, at times, have encountered the Bible with a “sound bite” approach, our attention grabbed by a select handful of Jesus’ sayings.
Connections 08.28.2022: Advice for the Ages
August 21, 2022 by
The writer of Hebrews knew what tempts, troubles, and tantalizes human beings. And those things haven’t changed much over the centuries since these words were recorded.
Connections 08.14.2022: The Shaking and Unshakable
August 14, 2022 by
Six years ago, I wrote about this text for the Baptist Women in Ministry blog. We were in an election year, our national life seemed more fraught than ever before, and it felt appropriate to reflect on our human-made structures being shaken by God.
Connections 08.14.2022: Under a Cloud
August 7, 2022 by
The “cloud of witnesses” described in Hebrews 12:1 is one of the most beautiful, most encouraging images of our faith. It helps us imagine the way we are connected to all who came before us.
Connections 08.07.2022: By Faith
July 31, 2022 by
How many times in your life have you taken on a new venture, stepped into an unfamiliar experience, or made a decision that seemed like a choice between two undesirable paths?
Connections 07.31.2022: All Kinds of Greed
July 24, 2022 by
Twenty-one years ago this spring, I wrote a sermon about this text. It was my final year of seminary and I got the best grade in my seminary career on it.
Connections 07.24.2022: What God Gives
July 17, 2022 by
They say, “God only gives you what you can handle.” “They” like to say this when people around them are struggling.
Connections 07.17.2022: Preparing and Learning
July 10, 2022 by
The second part of our lesson text tells the familiar story of sisters Martha and Mary—one focused on working and one focused on listening (vv. 38-42). Martha often gets shamed for her bustling busyness.
Connections 07.10.2022: Being Good
July 3, 2022 by
There are times when reading, reflecting on, and writing about Scripture is a relatively easy, fun endeavor. (Admittedly, I may have an unusual definition of “fun.”)
Connections 07.03.2022: Who Do We Welcome?
June 26, 2022 by
Author and creative coach Jennifer Louden talks about “signature themes,” that is, images and ideas that seem to come up again and again in our lives. One of my “signature themes” is moving.
Connections 06.26.2022: In Darkness and Despair
June 19, 2022 by
For people like me who cope with anxiety or other mental health issues, nighttime is often more of an obstacle to overcome than a respite to enjoy. The sun sets and we climb into bed, weary from the day and ready for sleep to come.
Connections 06.19.2022: Things I Remember
June 12, 2022 by
Some biblical passages are so familiar they are almost hard to read; we’ve heard their phrases so often they practically stand up on their own. Chunks of them have become praise choruses so overplayed that the earworms have taken up permanent residence in our heads.