Jesus is often a tough pill to swallow. His words, we are assured, are spirit and life. But it is sometimes difficult to know how to process them thoughtfully and meaningfully....

When we look at one another’s faces, we are beholding infinitely valuable bearers of the divine image. God’s image is there, not sometimes but always. When we talk to others, however,...

God is gracious and gentle. God’s mercy and loving-kindness are abundant. And yet we are called to be strong and stand in the strength of God’s power. What kind of power...

We build worship spaces and we design and lead worship services. We schedule stop and start times in chapels and sanctuaries. But then scripture issues a challenge, inviting us to imagine...

God’s presence can coincide with physical joy and comfort, but it isn’t synonymous with it. We can, after all, experience God’s presence even in grief and physically uncomfortable circumstances. We can...

When appeals to the sacred are made, we’re never too far from someone’s—or a group of someones’—sense of what is holy. We know the power of kneeling during a song for...

Be filled with the Spirit,” Paul urges. In today’s passage he recommends one specific way by which people of faith can be filled: “Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among...

Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time.” In this week’s reading from Ephesians, Paul continues to call the Christian...

In John 6 Jesus expresses his longing to feed the crowd with “true bread,” that which will continually and most deeply satisfy their needs. But then he shifts from saying he...

This week’s Gospel continues John’s extended drama from last week about Jesus and bread. Chapter 6 began with an account of Jesus feeding a multitude using a boy’s lunch. Then came...