This scripture opens with Isaiah’s wonder and gratitude over the rich gifts God has given him: the depth and eloquence of a true teacher, the healing power to renew those who...

As we approach Passion/Palm Sunday, we traditionally reflect not only on Jesus’ healings and teachings but also on the suffering and death that await him. Psalm 118 is one of the...

Through this hymn of the early Christian church, we enter into what has been traditionally known as Passion Week. For centuries this week was set apart, along with Holy Week, as...

Have you ever arrived home at the end of the day and been unable to recall how you got there? You knew your route so well you didn’t have to pay...

Many of us expect to feel good all the time. In fact, if we don’t feel good, we think something is wrong or that God has abandoned us. When we experience...

The Israelites are desperate by the time God offers this new covenant. They are in exile in Babylon, in bondage, and far from home. They have no king, no temple for...

The score-keeping life is the way that leads to death. God’s generosity leads to life. God says here, “I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.” No more...

What constitutes a “clean” heart? It’s more than a heart free of dirt and debris. A clean heart exhibits openness and spaciousness, making room to love God and neighbor—a heart resting...

An anthropologist once wrote an article on the cleansing rituals of the Nacirema tribes. They have elaborate holy places where they perform daily purification rituals, sometimes more than once a day!...

Have you ever compared a flower in bloom with the seed that produced it? The flower is tall, colorful, and moving with layers and textures. The seed is a tiny, hard...