God’s presence can coincide with physical joy and comfort, but it isn’t synonymous with it. We can, after all, experience God’s presence even in grief and physically uncomfortable circumstances. We can...

When appeals to the sacred are made, we’re never too far from someone’s—or a group of someones’—sense of what is holy. We know the power of kneeling during a song for...

Be filled with the Spirit,” Paul urges. In today’s passage he recommends one specific way by which people of faith can be filled: “Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among...

Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time.” In this week’s reading from Ephesians, Paul continues to call the Christian...

In John 6 Jesus expresses his longing to feed the crowd with “true bread,” that which will continually and most deeply satisfy their needs. But then he shifts from saying he...

This week’s Gospel continues John’s extended drama from last week about Jesus and bread. Chapter 6 began with an account of Jesus feeding a multitude using a boy’s lunch. Then came...

When God says to the newly crowned Solomon, “Ask what I should give you,” Solomon ultimately responds: “Give your servant, therefore, an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern...

Our scripture today is set in a time of royal transition. King David has died after a long and respected reign. His son Solomon is now on the throne. It is...

The scriptures this week invite us to reflect on the nature and gift of wisdom. Clearly, there is a difference between being “smart” and being wise. We may be clever, quick,...

In the seventies, American families purchased “Wonder Bread,” the perfectly sliced loaf sealed in the white and multicolored plastic bag with the red twist tie. Known for its freshness, one loaf...