The soft edges of the road were filled with hard rocks, sheep, and goats. Parking in the empty lot, we hiked the path that circled the flat-topped mountain. The landscape was...

I despised Jane (not her real name). I disdained the blue ribbon in her hair. I sniffed at her brown shoes. I thoroughly disliked the way her mouth hung open over...

Sometimes when the lectionary skips a few verses, they hold arcane detail unlikely to illuminate any but the most dedicated archaeologists of the Bible. Other times, they reveal uncomfortable information that...

“Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?” the psalmist asks. Last time I set out to climb a small mountain, it was without supreme confidence that I would make the...

Psalms 46-48 are a trio of psalms that lift the vision of the worshiper above a jingoistic celebration of the city of Jerusalem to the God who is “king over the...

Passengers arriving at the O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, are greeted by a large mural that declares, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you...

The journey to Mount Zion is never easy. Sooner or later, disciples who are “marching to Zion” discover the ways God’s purpose challenges the way we live in a sin-damaged world....

David was a strong leader. People remembered the way he “led Israel out to war” and took Mount Zion by force (2 Sam. 5:2, 9, CEB). In our capital cities, we...

While we are “marching upward to Zion,” what kind of leader can we trust to show us the way? The first reason the Israelite tribes gave for choosing David was, “We...

The lectionary reading leaves verses 6-8 out of this passage. It’s not unlike the way we try to hide the ugly stories in our history. Located on the border between Israel...