I serve on a committee of clergy and laity that meets several times a year to certify candidates for ordained ministry in our denomination. There are criteria for the candidates: seminary...

In this dinner at the home of the family Jesus loved, we witness discipleship in several forms. First we see Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with an expensive perfume, then wiping it...

Thirty years ago, my spiritual director taught me to pray the psalms. The psalms teach us to pray and bring the truth of our lives to God, including the emotions and...

Memory of God’s works takes different roles in our faith. Sometimes we recall the past to remind ourselves that God remains with us. I sat with a friend who was suffering...

The only stories we can tell truthfully are our own. Our stories look different to others than they do to us. Perspectives, experiences, and hopes shape the way we tell our...

An ambassador is never off duty. Whether inconvenienced, flustered, or frustrated, ambassadors must remember that they represent more than themselves. Their words and actions reflect on the one for whom they...

In 12-step groups, the community rejoices over each sign of progress, no matter how small. One day of sobriety is better than no days. One week of acknowledging powerlessness is better...

The once ubiquitous “All Are Welcome” sign has become disdained in many church circles. It is not that churches do not wish to welcome all people. The tension is between the...

Some stories are so familiar that it is easy to miss the details right in front of us. Cultural studies of the Prodigal Son narrative from Luke 15 have shown that...

There are beatitudes found throughout the Bible. Any sentence beginning “blessed are” offers guidance into a life of joy and possibility. Such blessings come from living in alignment with God’s will...