Devotional Dec 10 2021
Psalm 31; Haggai 1:1-15; Rev. 2:18-29; Matt. 23:27-39 Whitewashed tombs. They’re pretty, all right–visit Egypt sometime, and be amazed. Or those monuments to aristocratic families in Jerusalem–families of whose names most of us have never heard: yep, they’re pretty. But the memories? Not so much. Most of the Pharaohs commemorated were nonentities. A handful […]
Devotional Dec 9 2021
Psalm 37; Amos 9:1-10; Rev. 2:8-17; Matt. 23:13-26 Majoring in minors, right? That’s what Jesus warns us against. Growing up, I remember distinctly a series of Sunday school classes on the mysterious superpowers of the antediluvian era–prior to Noah’s flood, people had antigravity rays (that’s how the pyramids got built!) and shrink rays (that’s […]
Devotional Dec 6 2021
Psalm 25; Amos 7:1-9; Rev. 1:1-8; Matt. 22:23-33 Happy St Nicholas day! Today, throughout most of continental Europe, the gift-giving saint will appear in a variety of clothes, with a variety of sidekicks, to hand out a variety of gifts to good kids. He’s an historic figure who was arrested for his faith, got involved […]
Devotional Nov 30 2021
salm 19:1-6; Deuteronomy 30:11-14; Romans 10:8b-18; Matthew 4:18-22 ANDREW the APOSTLE Fishing for people. I used to work for Bass Pro in Springfield–believe it or not, I was a pretty persuasive lure salesman back in the day. It’s amazing how specialized lures can be. You use this model for species #1, another for species #2, […]
Devotional Nov 27 2021
Psalm 137; Micah 7:11-20; 1 Pet. 4:7-19; Matt. 20:29-34 ‘Lord, open our eyes.’ What better thing for which to pray as we move headlong into Advent? So bedazzled with the world’s distractions are we–a shortage of Christmas trees! the recipe to guarantee a perfect Norman Rockwell holiday with your fractious in-laws! cyber Monday specials […]
Devotional Nov 22 2021
Psalm 106; Joel 3:1-2,9-17; 1 Pet. 1:1-12; Matt. 19:1-12 ‘Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given.’ What a weird statement, right? I mean, here’s Jesus talking to a Jewish crowd–which is to say, to a crowd who’ve been taught their entire lives that having children is spiritual […]
Devotional Nov 19 2021
Psalm 102; 1 Macc. 4:36-59; Rev. 22:6-13; Matt. 18:10-20 Today’s reading from I Maccabees is one of two descriptions in the Apocryphal books about the Festival of Hanukkah. The other, in II Maccabees, alludes more directly to the miracle (one day’s worth of consecrated oil lasting for 8 full days in the Temple’s new […]
Devotional Nov 18 2021
Psalm 105; I Macc 4:1-25; Revelation 21:22-22:5; Matthew 18:1-9 His name on my forehead. All my life I’d had marks on my head, visible to and noted by everyone. In high school, it was “Mr Wilson’s son, nice enough to get invited to parties but not a lot of fun.” In Germany, it was […]
Devotional Nov 17 2021
Psalm 101, 109; 1 Macc. 3:42-60; Rev. 21:9-21; Matt. 17:22-27 Hoo boy, does Jesus get relevant today! He says, point blank, that He has the right to refuse to pay the Temple tax–and then (exact words) ‘so that we do not give offense’ pays it anyway. That is to say, the Persons Whose example […]
Devotional Nov 16 2021
Psalm 97, 99, 100; 1 Macc. 3:25-41; Rev. 21:1-8; Matt. 17:14-21 This is the first time Emmaus pops up in history: but where is it, exactly? The name gives us few clues, meaning ‘warm spring.’ The Holy Land sits on a very active fault line–hot springs are everywhere. And the Gospel accounts don’t help […]