Daily Office Readings – Gospel ( Matthew 17:14-21 ) As I read through this morning’s Gospel reading, I was, of course, struck by Jesus rebuking his disciples. They had tried to cast out a demon, and they couldn’t get the demon to leave a boy who suffered from seizures and would fall into the fire…
Today’s Daily Office Readings – Gospel ( Matt. 16:21-28 ) “Get behind me Satan!” Peter doesn’t want Jesus to die, as is natural for someone who has become your teacher, friend and mentor. But instead of turning around and saying, “Thanks, Peter, that’s awfully kind of you,” he turns around and says, “Get behind me…
Lectionary Readings – 7th Sunday of Easter This past Thursday, we celebrated the Feast of the Ascension. Or at least we thought really hard about celebrating the day because it fell in the middle of work week, and so we thought it might be best to push it off until today. Ascension Day is a…
Daily Office Readings – Gospel ( Matthew 7:1-12 ) The other day, I ran across a Twitter stream ripping on everyone and anyone who had caused the Tweeter even a most minor offense. On and on the rant went, with name calling, spreading of lies and misinformation, and just plain meanness. So much hate and…
Daily Office Readings – Gospel ( Matthew 6:25-34 ) Thirty six and a half million people unemployed as of today, May 14, 2020. And three million of that number were added just this past week. People are stressed out, looking at the shrinking savings (if they had any) and wondering how quickly they may be…
Daily Office Readings – Gospel ( Mark 6:1-6,16-18 ) The other day, on my Facebook feed, I ran across a video that had a title somewhere along the lines of “Man pays rent for needy family. See what happens next.” The story was an uplifting moment where people who were not expecting anything got something…
Daily Office Readings – Gospel ( Matthew 5:27-37 ) As soon as I started reading this Gospel this morning, my mind went back too several youth leaders and pastors I’ve known, and I started hearing the voices of these leaders telling the old familiar comments (some jokes) that come with this passage. The comments always…
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Exodus 20:7 – KJV The other day I was reading again in Paul Tillich’s collection of sermons entitled “The Eternal Now” and ran across a sermon titled, “The Divine Name.” Tillich used…
Daily Office Readings – New Testament ( 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 ) Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and…
This COVID-19 pandemic has really changed a lot about our daily lives. Many of us have lost jobs, others of us are working from home, and most of us are either willingly staying at home, or begrudgingly complying with statewide “stay at home” orders. But of all the changes that we have encountered in the…