Abundance from Scraps Jesus is able to feed us abundantly, even with scraps. He meets earthly needs by feeding the crowds and continues now to offer himself as holy meal, freely given to all, no matter their income or rank … read full post
Judgment and Mercy Matthew’s gospel knows little compromise: sheep or goats, wheat or weeds, good or evil. Finding the good news of God’s love for all people, for all creation, can be a challenge in this book. Today’s gospel is … read full post
Life in Every Direction We can identify death in every direction. We see war, hunger, addiction, poverty, a dying planet, and broken hearts. This is not a new story. The children of Israel surely saw death in every direction, wandering … read full post
When a Yoke Means Freedom Today’s gospel reading contains iconic words from Jesus: “Come to me all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from … read full post
Life in Christ Includes Praise and Lament Though we may prefer to think of God giving us lives of joy and ease, a full life in Christ also includes sorrow and grief. To the extent we are willing to acknowledge … read full post
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus speaks of the church’s mission with images drawn from daily life. The harvest is already plentiful, he says, but laborers are needed for work in the fields of daily life. What are we to do? … read full post
Celebrating Our God beyond Understanding The festival of the Holy Trinity celebrates the wonder of relationship with God while leaving us distinctly dissatisfied with our limited understanding of what God is. While guarding against the idolatry of language, we survey … read full post
God Gives More than Enough It is the “first day of the week” (John 20:19), the day of the new creation, but to those locked away in the upper room in fear, the world is as it always has been. … read full post
Overhearing Jesus At the ascension we, like the disciples in today’s reading in Acts, are left looking at the sky. But in the High Priestly Prayer (John 17), Jesus brings us back to earth. In the prayer he speaks not … read full post
Not Orphaned “I will not leave you orphaned,” Jesus promises us in today’s gospel. God is not some ruthless heavenly spectator judging us as on reality television, relishing our failures, wishing to exchange us for a better or more attractive … read full post
