When English Baptists in the seventeenth century read Matthew 22:21, they heard Jesus establishing a limit on the authority of civil power. Caesar did have legitimate concerns in this world—collecting taxes, for example—and, in those areas, he could exercise his power as he saw fit.
Crossroads: Sharing Jesus with Others
June 5, 2023 by
As a young teenager, I remember telling one of my best friends about Jesus while we were at a slumber party. She was having a hard time and she was crying. Her parents argued a lot and she was worried about what was going to happen.
Connections 06.04.2023: The Great Reassurance
May 28, 2023 by
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.
Crossroads: Fishers of People
January 23, 2023 by
Going fishing takes patience. You have to wait awhile (sometimes a very long while) before the fish start biting. First you put something on your hook that you hope the fish will want to eat. Then you plop that hook into the water and you wait. Sometimes you may move it around some, but you have to wait for the fish.
Formations 12.11.2022: The Idolatry of the Tribe
December 4, 2022 by
According to Deuteronomy 23:3, “No Ammonite or Moabite shall come into the assembly of the LORD even to the tenth generation. None of their descendants shall come into the assembly of the LORD forever.”
Persecuted
March 1, 2022 by
There are people all over the world who are being persecuted—truly persecuted—for righteousness’ sake, for the sake of their faithful witness to their relationship with God and to the ways of God’s kingdom.
Opened Heavens
February 1, 2022 by
Jesus’ baptism somehow prompted an amazing representation of the thing that Jesus’ life in its entirety was about: the barrier between heaven and earth was penetrated and the way from heaven to earth and from earth to heaven was opened.
Connections 07.26.2020: Yes, But…
July 19, 2020 by
The short parables in this week’s lesson are fascinating, and they give us much to think and talk about. They also give us much to do something about.
Connections 07.19.2020: The Waiting
July 12, 2020 by
The waiting is the hardest part. In the parable found in this week’s lesson text, Jesus tells the story of a farmer who sowed good seed in a field, only to have an enemy sow weeds in the same field.
Connections 04.12.2020: The Risen Christ
April 5, 2020 by
I listen to a podcast called “Gone.” In each episode, hosts Richard and Molly discuss something or someone that went missing and has never been found. One of the podcast’s taglines is, “Just because something is gone, [it] doesn’t mean it can’t be found.”
Formations 03.29.2020: Things or Experiences?
March 22, 2020 by
New research from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin suggests that some purchases are better than others at providing happiness.
Formations 03.15.2020: God’s Law vs. God’s Love
March 8, 2020 by
Many memories of my life as a church member—at various churches over the years—are beautiful, positive, and sustaining. But some are difficult, burdensome, and troubling.
Connections 12.15.2019: Orientation
December 8, 2019 by
Picture John the Baptist, leaning against a prison wall. For many months, he has worked tirelessly, pleading with people to repent and prepare for the One who is to come.
Formations 11.17.2019: Crying Out for Justice
November 10, 2019 by
I’ll have to confess that the ongoing college admissions scandal hits a little close to home. My own daughter is about to finish her first semester of college, and now is as good a time as any to admit that I paid an awful lot of money to get her there: it’s called tuition!
In Silence
January 2, 2019 by
That Matthew includes five women on his list is remarkable. Jewish genealogies usually list men only, but Matthew mentions Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Mary by name. He doesn’t name the fifth woman, Bathsheba. He references her using her first husband’s name, the wife of Uriah (v. 6).
Formations 11.05.2017: Monument to Ivan the Terrible Erected
October 29, 2017 by
A bronze statue has been erected in Moscow to one of the most brutal rulers in Russian history. The monument is the first of its kind in the Russian capital and only the second in the entire country. The statue was first placed in the city of Alexandrov, where the locals protested.
Connections 09.03.2017: Participation Trophies
August 27, 2017 by
Sometimes kids get participation trophies. You know—if you’re on the team, you get a trophy. If you come in last, you still get a trophy. Why? Because you participated. The practice is controversial among some adults who argue that we shouldn’t teach our children that they’ll be rewarded for “only” participating.
Connections 08.27.2017: What about Me?
August 20, 2017 by
I write to you today after yet another harrowing time in our nation—a time when any progress we have made in race relations takes a few giant steps backwards. Once again we are reminded that the loud voices of a relatively small group are occasionally more powerful than the quiet voices of the many.
Connections 08.20.2017: Trajectory
August 13, 2017 by
The name “Jesus” is the Greek version of the Hebrew name “Joshua,” which means “The Lord saves.” The most famous biblical Joshua led the Hebrews to occupy the promised land, which wasn’t easy since people lived there. So it’s more accurate to say that Joshua led the Hebrews to conquer the land.
Connections 08.13.2017: To Be Bold…
August 6, 2017 by
Surrounded by adoring, needy crowds, Jesus is bold enough to tell them enough is enough; it’s time for them to go home and move forward with their lives. He needs to recharge on his own with the Lord. I love many things about this brief story.
Connections 08.06.2017: Knee-Jerk Compassion
July 30, 2017 by
This Sunday’s lesson focuses on the fact that we sometimes have inadequate resources to meet the great need before us. It asks us to honestly face and confess our inadequacy so we can be open to God’s provision. It calls us to trust that God will use our meager resources to help meet people’s needs.
Formations 03.05.2017: Taking Off Our Masks
February 26, 2017 by
It’s that time of year when cheap plastic purple and green and gold masks are sold at the front of party stores. This means that it’s almost that time of year when we follow Jesus and those early Israelites before him out into the wilderness. Jesus goes out there, whether he knows it or not, to be tempted by the devil (4:1).
Connections 02.26.2017: Jesus Is Lord
February 19, 2017 by
Sometimes I need to read about Jesus’ transfiguration. Instead of walking by his side down the dusty roads, listening to his stories about how to live in God’s present kingdom, eating the food from one of his miraculous multiplying meals, watching him heal the sick and bless the kids and care for the poor.
Connections 02.19.2017: Getting Past the Great Filter
February 12, 2017 by
It was 1950, and some scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico were walking to lunch. Along the way, they talked about some recent reports of UFOs and a New Yorker cartoon that attributed the recent disappearances of New York City trash canisters to alien activity.
Connections 02.12.2017: Above and Beyond
February 5, 2017 by
I am both awed and horrified by these passages where Jesus expands the reach of well-known laws almost beyond human capabilities. What awes me? We can easily list basic rules of humanity, and we tend to think that we are covered. We are obviously better than others who break such foundational rules.
Connections 02.05.2017: Excessive Righteousness
January 29, 2017 by
In my imagination, when Jesus tells his disciples, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (v. 20), I see them looking at each other with expressions that say, “He’s got to be kidding!” After all, you couldn’t get any more righteous than a scribe or a Pharisee.
Crossroads: Fishers of People
January 23, 2017 by
Has anyone ever said to you, “Stop what you’re doing and follow me?” That’s not quite how I became a children’s minister, but it’s close. From the time I was a young teen, I knew that I wanted to be an accountant. I was good with numbers, and people who like numbers tend to be accountants.
Connections 01.29.2017: The Nature of the Beatitudes
January 22, 2017 by
I have also viewed these Beatitudes as something to strive for. Do you want the kingdom of heaven, comfort, the earth, and so on? Then be poor in spirit, mourning, meek, etc. But as I read these again this week, I realized something. Every quality Jesus lists here is either innate or enforced.
Connections 01.22.2017: The Speed of Light
January 15, 2017 by
Light travels at 186 thousand miles per second. That means it travels about six trillion miles in a year, so that’s the distance in a light year. The sun is “only” about 0.000016 of a light year (93 million miles) from Earth; its light reaches us in about eight minutes twenty seconds.
Connections 01.08.2017: Going Under
January 1, 2017 by
I was watching a made-for-television film about Jesus. In its depiction of Jesus’ baptism, he joined John in the Jordan River. As they stood in the river, which came up to their waists, John poured water over Jesus’ head.
Formations 12.18.2016: A Glimpse of Holiness
December 11, 2016 by
Angels almost always appear on the biblical scene saying, “Don’t be afraid.” And they are indeed frightening creatures, at least in the book of Revelation and other apocalyptic writings.
Formations 12.11.2016: Even in this Place?
December 4, 2016 by
John the Baptist heard the train coming before anyone else, but today he’s in prison. By the river he proclaimed, “Here comes the kingdom of heaven!” (Matt 3:2). Now he sends some of his disciples to find out if he got it wrong, if they should start looking for someone else.
Formations 12.04.2016: Pace Yourself
November 27, 2016 by
I was late coming to Advent. The church of my childhood and youth never observed a season of preparation leading to Christmas day. We were left, then, to “get ready for Christmas” the same way secular people did.
Formations 11.27.2016: Paying Attention
November 20, 2016 by
As we enter Advent, we don’t only remember Ancient Israel’s hope and longing for God to rescue them. We also recognize our own hope that Christ would come as a fuller part of our world.
Connections 10.09.2016: One Foundation
October 2, 2016 by
The church I attend is brand new. We became official in spring 2015. Our name is new, our sign is new, and our hymnals are new. Our bylaws are new. We’re so new that our mission is still evolving. But we have a history that stretches backward much longer than eighteen months.
Formations 06.19.2016: Pilate’s Indecision
June 12, 2016 by
Pilate comes near the end of the story of Jesus. Whatever Gospel you’re reading, by the time you arrive at Pilate’s palace, you’ve already gotten a pretty good idea of who Jesus is. You’ve seen him heal with compassion. You’ve seen him go out of his way to include people that most would have written off.
Formations 05.29.2016: Asking and Listening
May 22, 2016 by
Ernesto Sirolli is widely renowned throughout the world as an expert in economic development. He has led successful International Aid efforts in communities in Zambia, Kenya, Algeria, and other African countries to develop sustainable economies.
Formations 01.03.2016: Baby Names of 2015
December 27, 2015 by
Jackson and Sophia are the most popular baby names of 2015, but there are some interesting trends further down the list. According to a USA Today report, the gender-neutral name Royalty is up 90% this year.
Uniform 12.27.2015: A Generous Gift
December 20, 2015 by
I have a confession to make. There was a time when I thought Christmas was about me. Now, don’t think I was worse than I was. I knew that Christmas was really about the birth of Jesus.
Formations 11.22.2015: The Greatest Commandment
November 15, 2015 by
“What is the greatest commandment?” the legal expert asked. It was the perfect opening. If Jesus had wanted to say something like “All Scripture is equally important,” there was his chance. But he didn’t take it, because he didn’t believe that was true.
Reading through the Lens of Jesus
October 14, 2015 by
Jesus opens up the depth of meaning in the Scriptures so that we can find depth of meaning in our lives and in our discipleship. In relationship with Jesus we become participants in the kingdom of God.
Formations 08.30.2015: Choosing to Forgive
August 23, 2015 by
It seems the news has been full of people who have every right to lash out at those who have caused them harm, but have chosen instead to forgive.
Formations 08.16.2015: Making Peace
August 9, 2015 by
Kanye West is famous, among other things, for interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2009 Video Music Awards. When Swift beat out Beyoncé for Best Female Video, the rapper rushed the stage to explain why Beyoncé’s should have won instead.
Formations 08.02.2015: Loving—and Forgiving—Our Enemies
July 26, 2015 by
Two days after Dylann Roof murdered nine members of Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, the families of his victims posted a YouTube video in which they extended forgiveness and urged Roof to repent.
The Decline of the American Church, Boy Meets World, & Me
May 14, 2015 by
People can slice statistics any way they want to (and already have), but the short of it is this: While Christianity still remains the majority religion in the U.S., it is on the decline.
Uniform 02.15.2015: Are You a Sheep or a Goat?
February 8, 2015 by
I’ve heard the story of the sheep and the goats for years. When I was younger, I felt sorry for the poor goats that would burn in the eternal fire.
Uniform 02.01.2015: To Fast or Not to Fast
January 25, 2015 by
I confess: I’ve never gone without a meal. In fact, I’ve never gone without a snack when I felt like I needed one. Fasting from food is something I’ve never seriously considered.
Thrive: Words of Promise – Amy Shorner-Johnson
December 29, 2014 by
As you look forward toward a new year, what are your hopes and dreams? While I am not a person who typically makes resolutions, I am always grateful for some time to reflect on the year.