I am a worrier by nature. When things go wrong, I get anxious. Even when things have the possibility of going wrong, I get anxious.
Formations 03.19.2023: The Prodigal’s Brother
March 12, 2023 by
“Joseph,” I asked, addressing the Nigerian seminarian in the Parables of Jesus class I was teaching, “how would someone in your culture react to this parable?”
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)?
Holy Ghosts: Deadly News (For Raymond)
March 8, 2023 by Leave a Comment
The news came crawling
Like dreaded, deadly spiders into my ear,
Spewing their gossip like a lethal poison.
Flame: Esther’s Strengthened Heart
March 7, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Esther showed great love for her people and for her uncle Mordecai, but she also showed that she had a great deal of courage in her heart. Ask the children to think about times when they have needed to show love to others or needed to be brave so they could help others.
Crossroads: Guilty
March 6, 2023 by Leave a Comment
When I was in the first grade, I couldn’t seem to keep my mouth shut. I wanted to tell everyone everything all of the time. So being asked to be quiet wasn’t easy for me. One day we had a fire drill at school and our teacher instructed us to walk quietly outside. Honestly, I tried.
Formations 03.12.2023: Consider the Cost
March 5, 2023 by
Jesus says some difficult words to the “large crowds” in our lesson text. We may wonder if Jesus was really as callous as he sounds.
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.
Justice, Kindness, Humility
March 1, 2023 by Leave a Comment
One morning in my eighth grade social studies class, the teacher said, “The world is one-third Christian, twenty percent Muslim, and thirteen percent Hindu.” We thought that was the goofiest thing we had ever heard. Where I grew up in Mississippi, there were four religions—Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and heathen.
Life on the Ark
February 28, 2023 by Leave a Comment
We can only imagine how messy and confusing the ark must have been. There were people there—Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives. There were animals there—two of every kind. And there was food there—every kind of food eaten in that day.
Crossroads: Ashes
February 27, 2023 by Leave a Comment
I always feel the weight of the ashes on my forehead on Ash Wednesday. It wasn’t until I went to a Catholic middle school that I began participating in Ash Wednesday services. From that first Ash Wednesday service until now, it never ceases to amaze me how much I feel those ashes.
Formations 03.05.2023: Come to the Party
February 26, 2023 by
As Tony Campolo described it in the title of his 1992 book, The Kingdom of God Is a Party. Do we really grasp what that means?