The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds from Matthew 13:24-30 (The Message)
Jesus told another story. “God’s kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped…..
Our pandemic has brought many miseries, but the biggest loss may be its loneliness. There since the beginning – along with fear, alarm, frustration, confusion, and anger – to name a few of its covid-spawned siblings – our ache from unconnectedness has formed the backdrop of our nearly year-long experience. With Christmas only…..
Photo by Clay Banks on Upsplash
The protests that ended up in rioting this weekend confirm my belief in Satan. It’s an evil force that hijacks and exploits righteous anger, deflecting the focus on the very real problems facing black Americans and opening the door that allows people to dismiss the issue because there was violence. In the wake of this tumult – protesters and good police alike – are unfairly maligned, and plenty of innocent by-standing shopkeepers have found…..
Have you ever tried to tell the story of Easter to a child? It’s daunting.
In the first place, it’s at least R-rated. There is political manipulation, payoffs, treachery, fear, horrific torture, as well as the death of the hero. No wonder we want to skip from Palm Sunday to Easter Bunny and call that the holiday.
But at some point, we have to grow up and face the darkness. Not only what happened during the original Holy Week, but…..
In my daily reading material I hear a lot about gratitude lately. People have even studied it scientifically, observing the positive effect of thankfulness on the biochemistry of the brain. Added to all the anecdotal evidence, it’s an easy sell to say that it’s good for humans to be…..
A continuation of last week’s post: At the Cross. An imagining of Johanna’s experience of Easter and its aftermath based on Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12, 33-53; and John 20:1-22.
In the days following that first Resurrection Day when she had gone with the Marys to the tomb and…..
Once we’ve committed to pursuing the “musts” in our life and acknowledged that we can’t do them without God’s input, our next step involves figuring our how to ask for that help. In other words, we can’t go forward without engaging in prayer. But, it turns out that most of us feel at a loss…..
An Imagining of Mary’s sister, referenced in John 19:25
Mary and Joseph must be in Bethlehem by now. She could have the baby any day now.
It aches that they’ve left, that Mary won’t be here to have the babe. It meant so much to me to have all…..
This week I look at Mary’s courage in the making of that first Christmas.
An Imagining based on Luke 1:26-58; 2:1-5
When I was a little girl I remember so clearly my father talking about how much he wished the Lord would send His Messiah to us soon. Then, my mother would…..
Part of celebrating Advent is remembering that first Christmas and all the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth. In the piece below, I try to imagine what this time was like for Joseph.
An Imagining based on Matthew 1:18-25
I admit I was angry when Mary went off to visit her elderly relative…..