The lectionary passages today continue with the magnificent words of Isaiah, the stern words in Hebrews, and the simply told stories of the Gospel according to Mark. Isaiah, the poet-prophet paints a vivid picture of a depraved society that has turned away from God, a whole community that is contaminated by sin and injustice. There…

The gospel today is a powerful reminder that all the ambitions that confront us in the office, on the job, in the community, all the pettiness that poisons our days, and all the jealousies that we feel are not something unique to us nor to our age. Even the disciples knew these emotions. Let us…

He was young, well-mannered, well-educated, and well-off. He was sincere, honest, and seemingly above reproach. Maybe he also had an engaging personality and a winsome smile. Certainly Jesus found him likable, for Jesus, who was about to set out on a trip, took the time to engage with him. Jesus even tried to recruit him…

This Sunday’s gospel has words that are likely to make us cringe. It is hard to hear them as good news! It sounds, on the face of it, that Jesus is ruling out divorce. And so many of us are divorced, or our friends and family members are. Where does that leave us? First we…

Moses has had it. The people of Israel have been freed from slavery. But the price of their freedom is costly — seemingly too costly for them to deal with. All this wandering around in the wilderness, with nothing but a steady diet of manna to eat…memories of their time as slaves in Egypt seem…

Who here wants to be first of all?Who here wants to be powerful?Who here wants to be a leader? My guess is that most of us have some ambivalence about answering yes to these questions. Unlike the kindergartners who immediately raise their hands and shout, “Me, me!” when the teacher asks, “Who wants to be…

The old spiritual proclaims, “I have decided to follow Jesus….No turning back, no turning back…. The world behind me the cross before me, No turning back, no turning back” It is a decision to follow — to join oneself to God in Christ. Matthew’s gospel puts meaning even more dramatically, “The people who sat in…

Labor Day is now past, meaning we have officially entered into the Fall season. Most schools are now open, and that means our children are back in classes and our parents will be returning to their primary jobs being taxi drivers for the kids. There will be football practices, soccer practices, dance classes and countless…