In today’s reading, Martha wanted to offer Jesus the best hospitality, and she expected a little help from Mary in the kitchen. However, Mary wanted to sit at the feet of...

I moved every chair near me in the conference room, but my handbag was not where I had left it. My heart raced as I walked through the rows of chairs....

As a pastor, I am always looking for ways to serve others. Sometimes that yearning transports my mind to faraway places, and I imagine the strangers I might encounter there. I...

After nearly 70 years I still have a clear memory of the nursery class in my childhood church. Miss Mable made the Bible stories come alive for us. She let us...

A friend expressed surprise when I played a Chopin waltz after decades of neglecting the piano. I explained that it was muscle memory — the reason why we all can quickly...

My father was quite the backyard gardener. Vegetables and fruit trees shared a small rectangular plot. He planted every spring, and he harvested through summer and fall. When my father died,...

On a Saturday morning several years ago, my best friend died in an accident. I spent much of the day with his family, but it wasn’t until that night in bed,...

During my first stay outside of my country, I attended a church of a different denomination from my own. I enjoyed months of communion and traditional hymns with the congregation. When...

In today’s reading after Elijah commanded a drought, God made all the arrangements for Elijah to survive. It is amazing to me how God takes care of God’s people. I imagine...

I watched my mom cry before I turned and walked away, off to my college dorm. I was the first to leave, and she couldn’t handle it. I nearly couldn’t either....