Preachers who value their pulpit would be wise to avoid Isaiah 9 this Christmas Eve.
Living by the Word
Reflections on the lectionary readings by pastors, preachers, and biblical scholars
Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Some rights reserved by Abdallah A. Mansour.
In Luke, Mary says that she’s a virgin. Do I believe her?
In his response to John, Jesus speaks of hope in the present tense.
In the stitched-together story of Advent, we wrestle with each other’s certainties.
It’s troubling to imagine the Son of man arriving with criminal intent.
The unfaithful shepherd sniffs out and stirs up fear, fragmenting communities.
Jesus’ hearers are well-acquainted with calamity and crisis.
Resurrection is where God is—across generations, across circumstances.
Jesus mourns a human existence unconcerned with the needs of the whole.
Jesus' characters aren't nuanced; they're all elbows and ankles.
Injustice comes with so many alibis and aliases.
Maybe the lepers know that Jesus likes being in the borderland.
Have you noticed God’s preference for small things?
Conversion narratives raise a question: Why does it take so much to get there?
Jesus is talking to two different audiences.
