In Second Thessalonians, the author emphasizes the importance of community both to the early church as a whole and to the spiritual lives of the individuals within it. In fact, the...

Today’s reading addresses those in the church at Thessalonica who are “living irresponsibly, mere busybodies, not doing any work.” Some folks in this budding church aren’t pulling their weight. Community is...

Isaiah has delivered God’s promise to the Israelites: No matter how desperate things seem, God is at work creating something new. The Israelites must not lose hope. They must repent and...

Today’s reading comes from a climactic moment in the later writings of Isaiah, believed to have been written after the Israelites returned from Babylonian exile in 538 BCE. Upon returning to...

In the first ten chapters of the book of Isaiah, the prophet proclaims God’s judgment on the people of Judah and Israel for their defilement of God’s dwelling place in Jerusalem....

The psalmist’s joy is so unconstrained that the universe is invited to join in. The psalmist moves from soloist to conductor of a symphony, inviting all to participate. As they sing,...

The juxtaposition of the songs of praise and the songs of lament can sometimes be jarring. On first reading, the psalms do not seem to offer unified voice, but rather a...

Do you remember the camp song “I Just Wanna Be a Sheep (Baa Baa Baa Baa)”? This song was my introduction to Pharisees and Sadducees, and Sadducees were “sad, you see.”...

I will again shake the heavens and earth, the oceans and the dry land. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to...

Years ago, I pulled into my driveway behind a police car. A member of our church was a police officer and nothing looked amiss, so I was unconcerned. Then my husband,...