The best storytellers know that to really get a reader’s attention, it’s smart to create a twist or come from an unexpected angle. Some of the most fun discussions I’ve had...

There is one fact that is easy to miss in this week’s readings: Nothing is required from those who are in need. Judaism has an epochal history of advocating for the...

In the earliest days of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, many churches closed to protect their members and slow the spread of the disease. It was a time of danger and anxiety....

“As coronavirus deepens inequality, inequality worsens its spread,” read the article by Max Fisher and Emma Bubola on the New York Times website on March 16, 2020. James offers a clear-eyed...

The church I attend has a massive presence in the quiet residential neighborhood that surrounds it. Built in 1927, the brown brick building with the bulky Gothic Revival tower occupies almost...

We don’t believe in demons these days—they are so first-century. Nor do we place much stake in contemporary miracles. Modern science and engineering have explained away ancient puzzles and given us...

I administer a small neighborhood page on Facebook and keep up with another neighborhood email list. I’ve found that in the pseudo-privacy of the internet, many people openly express their deep...

We met the young man when he was caught rifling through men’s lockers at the local gym. My wife, Emalie, was visiting the Y when employees brought him to the front...

If we have been afraid to look in the mirror, Jesus holds it up for us regardless. The litany of sins in Mark 7:21-22 should make us shudder—not because they are...

Jesus wants to emphasize a point. It’s not just about people following tradition, rather than God’s word. It’s about knowing the human heart as the source for both good and evil....