Jesus answered, “Isaiah was right about frauds like you, hit the bull’s-eye in fact: These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn’t in it. They act like they are worshipping me, but they don’t mean it. They just...
“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family ...
The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to be married, Joseph discovered Mary was pregnant. Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be...
God of all times and places, life is full of things we would like to avoid: we don’t want our family to struggle; people we love are not supposed to be hurting; people we care about are not supposed to die. If salvation promises us...
When John got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to ask, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”...
Word of God, we notice you when we listen to others’ stories. Slow the pace of our lives in this busy season. Slow us down enough so that we have time to be quiet enough to listen, that in the stillness we might hear you...
Shaper of the universe, help us to remember that the world is not divided into the strong who care and the weak who are cared for. We each take our turn – sometimes taking care of others and sometimes being cared for – not just...
Living Word, you remind us that our words matter. May we speak peacemakers’ words today – and in speaking, transform our conversations so that they accomplish your purpose. Amen....
Loving God, let us hear you today when you ask us to reach out to the forgotten ones among us: the people we don’t talk to, the people we don’t invite to come along, the people we barely notice as we pass them in the...
While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called “the Baptiser,” was preaching in the desert country of Judea. His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here”....