The book of Esther is one of only two books in the Bible that are named for women. Written in the style of a Jewish novella, it presents the story of...

The director of a college asked me to preach at a worship service designating the college a “School of Peace.” I thought about what to say so that the younger children...

When we talk about the wise or wisdom, I always remember a young lady from Sunday school who would say, “Wise is he who always knows what he does and does...

The image of a tree on the water’s edge always makes me think of times of peace. The word of God brings me to times of peace from a convulsed, violent...

When I approach this psalm I get drawn into the image of the tree planted on the banks of the river, and then I begin to daydream of an autumn or...

Many women of our time are like the woman in today’s text. They work both inside and outside their home, they take care of the children, they support their partners. In...

The disciples were hearing from Jesus things that they would never have wanted to hear. I too would have felt sadness, worry, and fear if I had been there. The disciples’...

Serving means subjecting ourselves to another by doing what they desire or request. As Jesus tries to teach his disciples a revolutionary, upside down understanding of God’s kingdom, he reaches for...

Most of us try to avoid suffering and rejection at all costs. However, Jesus sees suffering and rejection as necessary. As he talks about this with the disciples, what they hear...

Identity: Who am I? Who am I becoming? Without a clear sense of identity, we can easily drift from our missional identity in Christ and community. As followers of Jesus, our...