Mary has no hand to clutch or shoulder to lean on.
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.
Diving into the disciples’ grief invites us to be honest about our own.
In a pandemic, the practices associated with Maundy Thursday feel nearly transgressive.
We betray Jesus for far less than was offered to Judas.
Even if we think we don’t need a savior, we seek one.
Were Mary and Martha at the Last Supper? It’s possible.
Sometimes anger is a window into what needs to be mended and healed.
Jesus obliterates our internal ledgers and points us to repentance.
Is the fox cunning and clever, or is it wily and untrustworthy?
The wilderness can be a frightening landscape that whispers from the shadows, “You’re all alone.”
Some years the message of Ash Wednesday feels more tender than others.
In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus—like Moses and Elijah—is a figure of departure.
It’s a terrible fact that we have so many opportunities to love our enemies.
Luke’s Beatitudes call us to live in the tension of a cross-shaped life.
The disciples focused on what they could control: the state of their nets.
