Clotheslines

Sunday we walked through a fascinating lesson of history and healing. It was the story of Jesus and the ten lepers. You might think that’s the story. But, as always, there is much more under the surface. Jesus is taking a seemingly insignificant journey from one place to another—simple enough—but Scripture adds this: “[He] is traveling along the border between Samaria and Galilee.” Why is that important? It is a teaching moment. Jesus is showing inclusion of all by not travel

The disciples ask Jesus, “Increase our faith,” and Jesus answers, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Jesus is telling them that even a small amount of faith is powerful, that you can’t see the end of your story at the beginning of your journey. It’s like building a wall of bricks. It takes one brick at a time, one placed perfectly upon another, before the finished pro

Years ago, there was a popular series on British television called “Upstairs, Downstairs.” It was about a wealthy family who lived “upstairs,” while the servants lived “downstairs.” It was a glimpse into the world of those who have…and those who have not. Sunday’s Gospel was very similar. There was a certain rich man who lived in a fine house and ate the finest food. Outside, however, was a desperately poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores and too sick to work. And he wa

Jesus often spoke in parables and many times they seemed impossible to understand. Like last Sunday’s message about the dishonest manager. It’s a story about a dishonest manager who gets fired and then cooks the books so his former boss gets cheated out of even more money, and Jesus says we should be like him. Well, sort of… He says “children of this age are more shrewd than are the children of light.” And we should “make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so

Last Wednesday—September 10th to be exact—you read my message about discipleship…that becoming a disciple means decision and sometimes division. And perhaps about the time you were reading it, one particular disciple of Christ was assassinated. Politics notwithstanding—much like it was in the days of the apostles—a true believer always knows that presenting the Gospel to an unforgiving world always has a cost, sometimes even death. And interestingly enough, last Sunday center

Becoming a disciple of Jesus requires decision and sometimes division. That was Sunday’s message. That same message appears in the books of the Old Testament, Paul’s letters and directly from the lips of Jesus Himself. So, it must be true! One such message is in the Book of Deuteronomy, just before the Israelites enter the land of Cannan. Moses reminds them about all they’ve been taught on their journey through the wilderness. He sets out God’s entire blueprint for their new

Let’s talk about eating. We eat for nourishment, but there is much more to it than that. When we eat together, we learn about human nature. Eating together reveals deeper understandings of our relationships. Do you remember your first dinner date? In between small talk and nervous laughter, you might have noticed table manners, for example. Did she put her napkin on her lap? Where are his elbows? If you walked into a high school cafeteria, you see other examples of a meal and

Pain. We are all familiar with that word, aren’t we… some more than others. There’s everything from muscle aches to bone hurts, headaches to arthritis, broken hearts to crushed spirits. And we do everything we can to alleviate the pain. But what do we do when the pain won’t go away, no matter what drug we take? Luke’s Gospel tells us the story of a woman who has been in pain for eighteen years. We don’t know exactly what the cause of her pain is, but that really doesn’t matte

This past Sunday’s Gospel message was difficult to hear and understand. We think of Jesus as the ultimate ambassador of love, peace and harmony. But Luke gives us these disturbing words from Jesus: “Do you think that I have come to bring peace? No, I tell you, but rather division!” How can this be? Jesus’ words cut to the heart of anyone who has ears to listen. He also says that he “came to bring fire…”. We are unsure what Jesus meant, but all we know for sure is that Jesus k

“Life without God at the center is meaningless.” I saw that on a bumper sticker, and it is so true! Look around at the people you see. You will find a sense of contentment, a shining peace and often times a smile on those persons who know the meaning of a God-centered life. They will be people who show God’s love even when there might be trouble or pain in their own lives. How can that be? Because when God is at the center, all else pales. When God is at the center, faith shi