There’s no way around it. This week’s Gospel is an odd little story that leaves us scratching our heads, and wondering what’s up. While...

Have you ever wondered about the “titles” of scripture stories? Have you ever wondered where they came from and who created them, or how...

It had been some time since Jesus had descended from the Mount of Transfiguration and set his face toward Jerusalem. As he journeyed...

“When you throw a party,” says the Lord, “invite those whom everyone else overlooks.” Has anyone here ever attended a wedding or a...

I come to gather nations of every language. God will call them from hard luck towns the highway commission ignored. God will gather them...

“I have not come to establish peace, but I have come to establish division.” Did Jesus really come to establish division? This doesn’t...

The TV ads are sounding off more intently, “It’s mid-summer. Take some time to relax and (use our product / go to our vacation site /...

Jesus did not shun the work of the dock, the dust of the field or the din of the marketplace. His preaching rang with references to the...

In the northwest corner of Kansas, out on the high plains, there is the small town where my great grandparents settled as pioneers....

Sometimes, children struggle to communicate with adults. In a similar way, we adults struggle to communicate with God. No matter how hard...

As so often happens with scripture, we tend to glide over the surface of this story of Martha and Mary, smoothing out the rough corners,...

“Tell me about yourself.” How would you answer that question? You might say: “I’m a student.” Or “I’m an athlete.” Or “I’m a carpenter; a...

Jesus had sent the Twelve Disciples out on a missionary journey, a mission that was wildly successful. Now, the Lord turns to the other...

Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head. For many people, home is a place of...

I grew up on a farm. Early on, I learned that, when you’re plowing a field, the more you look back over your shoulder, the more crooked...

“We are in a deserted place,” said the apostles to the Lord. I recognize the setting. It feels like home. A deserted place, an arid...

Can I Get an Amen?: A Survey of Homiletic Strategies that Engage the Listener This is the second in a series of five brief essays that...

When my three sons were in grade school, we travelled from Cincinnati to San Francisco to visit my brother. Along the way, we stayed in...

About fifteen years ago in the Midwest, the remnants of a Gulf hurricane wandered up into the Ohio River region. Its low pressure core...

The month of May is a busy time: Proms. Graduations. Mothers Day. First Communions. Family gatherings on Memorial Day. May is a busy...