Good Morning Friends, Today we consider a question asked by Jesus about who would be greatest in the kingdom of God, and as a backdrop we also consider the relationship between Moses and his disciple, Joshua. The enlightenment here in connecting these two lectionary passages is that Moses and Joshua had a father-son kind bond … Continue reading In What Ways Do We Still Need To Learn Like A Child?
What Does The Lord Require?
Good Morning Friends, This morning we come to a section of Matthew which encompasses a mere six verses, but involves two different stories, one on each of these two topics—one on death and one on taxes. The sage of American History, Ben Franklin, commenting on his hope of the new U.S. Constitution’s permanency, and perhaps … Continue reading What Does The Lord Require?
Do We Put Our Heroes Of Faith On A Pedestal Or Embrace Their Tenacity In The Midst Of Real Life?
Good Morning Friends, Today’s lectionary text remembers Biblical heroes, some of whom sacrificed their lives and others who survived many of life’s battles. We look up to these heroes for they do things we think we cannot do. Sometimes they walk on water, but at other times they do very practical daily service. Unfortunately, we … Continue reading Do We Put Our Heroes Of Faith On A Pedestal Or Embrace Their Tenacity In The Midst Of Real Life?
Do You Have Enough Faith To Move Mountains?
Good Morning Friends, Have you ever wondered at what point the parenting relationship changes? Is it when your child turns 18? Is it when they move out of your home? Is it when they marry? Is it after you have finished paying for college and they start their career and have kids of their own? Some things are … Continue reading Do You Have Enough Faith To Move Mountains?
Is Jesus The Rock Of Our Salvation?
Good Morning Friends, Often in reading scripture whether it is Old or New Testament text I will consider where Jesus is in the storyline and I will consider the location of the story as well to gain insights from the backdrop. In today's Gospel reading Jesus and His disciples ventured into the District of Caesarea Philippi, an area … Continue reading Is Jesus The Rock Of Our Salvation?
Are You Being Personally Transformed By A Relationship With Jesus?
Good Morning Friends, If a Gallup poll was conducted by asking the public today’s question, we would get a wide range of answers and more than a little waffle language about who Jesus is for them and what he has done for their lives. Some would say Jesus was an ancient philosopher, which is rather … Continue reading Are You Being Personally Transformed By A Relationship With Jesus?
What Constitutes True Happiness And True Holiness?
Good Morning Friends, Sometimes people storm into the church, insisting that the church should live up to the pattern offered by Jesus. Sometimes people expect ministers to walk on water. They rock the boat, and in so doing they force the church to remember its reason for being when we face the faith, filth and … Continue reading What Constitutes True Happiness And True Holiness?
When Is Enough, Enough?
Good Morning Friends, Jesus has an amazing gift for taking the traditions of the past and extrapolating their core ideas and the memories of the good times associated with them to create something new. Hopefully we get a sense of it in today’s lectionary scripture. We see in them that success is not measured by … Continue reading When Is Enough, Enough?
What Are You Doing Here?
Good Morning Friends, C. S. Lewis once said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” And the enlightenment of Lewis relates well to today’s scripture and Elijah coming out of the cave on the very mountain … Continue reading What Are You Doing Here?
How Do We Apply The Wisdom of the Feasts of God To Our Own Lives of Worship?
Good Morning Friends, Every religious Jew knew the Gospel according to Leviticus 23 for it contains the wise plan of God for the ages. It is the foundation for the ways in which we worship today despite its cultural subversion and the reality that the Temple has been destroyed. In the Levitical reading today, we … Continue reading How Do We Apply The Wisdom of the Feasts of God To Our Own Lives of Worship?
Daily Devotionals 