If the parable of the workers presents God’s grace in a story with surprising social contours, it fits well with what precedes it. In Matthew 19, Jesus overturns expectations about family...

The parable of the workers in the vineyard appears to take place in the familiar world of workers, bosses, and paychecks—including the perhaps all-too-familiar world of subsistence wages. But don’t let...

“Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ,” Paul exhorts his Philippian readers. He encourages them to live in a way that reflects the good news of...

I do not know the back story of the characters in this parable. However, key words and phrases catch me: slave (which is servant or bondsman in other translations), ten thousand...

In different parts of Africa, you will find a Palaver tree. It’s usually large with spreading branches to shelter and shade those who gather below it, making it a tree central...

I enter this text as a vegetarian. My spouse, whom I typically adore and highly respect, is an omnivore—an eater of all foods. For almost thirty years we’ve practiced living, hosting,...

Years ago Trevor Hudson, a South African preacher, invited some North American Christians to consider how we build stories, how we choose some elements out of countless events and possibilities as...

Psalm 114 is a praise song of remembrance to be sung at Passover. Passover itself is a festival of lived remembrance, embodied for several days. This holy day is memory experienced...

The fleeing Israelites praise, dance, and sing as the waters close behind them and rescue them from the pursuit of soldiers intent on re-enslaving them. Many of us have a story...

A few hardy souls live year-round on an island in Lake Superior. It is often icebound in the northern hemisphere winter. When the ferry boat can no longer push through the...