Be pleased to love us, O God our God, as the mother hen loves her chicks, as the bread loves to nourish the hungry. Be pleased to love us, O God our God, for love is your essence and character, hospitality and creativity are your way of being. Be pleased to love us, O God… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: Leadership Lessons
Solomon, in all his idealism, painted a retrospective image of his father King David as a “very nice guy.” So God rewarded Solomon with discernment, wealth, and longevity. Wisdom, in all her discipline, built a house, tended a farm & vineyard, and set an ample banquet table for the whole community. So God sent the… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: Church Seasons
Jesus said, “Have you never read what David did when he & his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, giving some to his companions too. In the same way, the sabbath was made for humanity’s sake — humanity was not made for sabbath’s sake. The… Read More
Sunday Prayer: Waiting
For those who die in the raging war of injustice, O merciful God, hear our cries & our prayers. For those who kneel in protest and in despair, O merciful God, hear our cries & our prayers. For those who dream and those who are haunted, O merciful God, hear our cries & our prayers.… Read More
Sunday Prayer: Fourfold
David’s anger erupted when he heard the tale, “As the LORD lives,” he swore to Nathan, “the rich man who took his poor neighbor’s only lamb should die; he must restore the lamb fourfold because of what he did.” (2 Samuel 12:5-6) David sinned against Uriah, and Bathsheba suffered — the assault on her body,… Read More
Friday Festival: Numbers
It’s time for a weekly round-up from our blogging community! As a word junkie, typically I highlight words & phrases when I post the Friday Festival, but today it’s all about the numbers! 13. Michelle Henrichs observes that “unlucky” is really just 12+1, it’s really just about making room for one more. “We don’t limit who… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: With All Your Might
David brought the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. And David dance before the LORD with all his might. (2 Samuel 6:12-14 NRSV excerpt, part of this coming Sunday’s lectionary texts) Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all… Read More
Sunday Prayer: About Goliath
We pray to the LORD, by whom life’s cornerstone was laid, for whom the heavens shout, and in whom justice is promised. For the overwhelmed to know hope, for the cowardly to know culpability, for the threatened to know sanctuary, we pray to the LORD. For those deemed weak to loose the bonds imposed by… Read More
Friday Festival: How We Are Doing
How are you doing — mind, body, spirit? What are you doing — in play, in work, in rest? One more question: How are you doing what you’re doing? Are you resting only at the point of utter exhaustion? Are you sneaking work into your play (e.g. reading books about leadership & preaching on your… Read More
Faith and Illness: Theodicy and PTSD
There is no safe space in the world. Not your neighborhood. Not your home. Neither the middle of the forest nor the middle of the city. Not your favorite vacation spot. Not your beloved church. No place — familiar or foreign — is absolutely guaranteed to be safe. (There aren’t really safe people either. “For… Read More
