Today we finish what we began on January 1. This will be our final reflection on Paul’s letter to the Romans. Some Bibles indicate that the verses of Romans 16:25-27 do not appear...
Last Friday’s reflection was based on Romans 16:18. In this verse, the Apostle Paul criticized those who, in the guise of serving...
My children like to ride roller coasters. So, as a dutiful father, I often join them. I actually enjoy some roller coasters...
Psalm 29:2 summons us to “worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.” How do we do this? What does this...
Several years ago, I was struggling to define more clearly my sense of calling. I had been serving the Lord as a pastor for many years. I loved most of my pastoral work...
In yesterday’s reflection, I talked about how we can team up with our fellow ministers of Christ through prayer. Today we will see from another perspective how serving Christ is truly a team...
Earlier this month I watched on television as the University of North Carolina Tar Heels won the NCAA Basketball championship. The Tar Heels dominated their opponents on their way to victory in...
In this section of Romans 15, Paul describes his apostolic ministry to the Romans, who, for the most part, had not met Paul at the time of writing. He is enthusiastic about his...
We often use the word “hope” when we want something to happen, but have little assurance that it will. I hope my mechanic won’t tell me I need new brakes, even though I’m...
On this Easter Sunday, we celebrate the defeat of death. Psalm 30 gives us words to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and its implications.The images of Psalm 30 take on new meaning in light of...
There are many reasons to worship God, more than I could possibly state in this reflection, or even in a thousand. At the core, we worship God because of who God is and...
Some years ago, Alan King conducted a series of interviews meant to be an oral history of comedians, especially stand-ups. In conversation with Jerry Seinfeld, King, a rather splendid comedian...
Today is Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week. On this day, Christians remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and we prepare for a deeper participation in the crucial events of this...
I grew up in a culture that was uncomfortable with sadness. When children cried, they were urged to stop. If adults broke...
Today I want to base my reflection on two verses from Psalm 22. In the first verse, the psalmist laments God’s lack...
We look up at the ceiling, which is abruptly shifting. Our hands suddenly appear to be miles away. We find ourselves running a race without a finish line and almost drowning in a...
Psalm 17 overflows with David’s prayers of asking: hear my plea, listen to my cry, pay attention to my prayer, declare me innocent, show me your unfailing love, guard me, protect me, rescue...
Lent leaped over the traditional boundary between sacramental and evangelical churches. Where once you could only find Lent in Catholic, Episcopalian, and other high church traditions, now...
When I was seventeen years old, I received a new Bible. For some reason, I thought it would be good to read through the entire book of Romans in one sitting. I had...
The transition from Romans 8 to Romans 9 is a sharp and surprising one. Paul has just affirmed the incredible good news...
