Scripture
August 23, Ordinary 21A (Romans 12:1–8)
I wish Paul also exhorted us not to think too poorly of ourselves.
Paul among his neighbors
A new anthology situates the epistles within the full religious texture of the ancient Mediterranean—gods, magic, and all.
August 16, Ordinary 20A (Genesis 45:1–15)
Joseph’s actions and emotions seem to be a muddled mess of revenge and grief.
August 9, Ordinary 19A (Genesis 37:1–4, 12–28)
How did Joseph’s brothers get from sibling rivalry to a murder plot?
Changed by struggle (Genesis 32:22-31)
The challenges we face might not be ordained by God, but they can teach us things.
August 2, Ordinary 18A (Genesis 32:22–31)
Those of us who wrestle with God have no guarantee that things will turn out well.
July 26, Ordinary 17A (Romans 8:26–39)
The Spirit is always seeking to pray on our behalf. Why didn’t anyone tell me this in seminary?
Parable and explanation? (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)
It is hard to square the Jesus of Matthew 13:36–43 with the Jesus of verses 24–30.
Escape to Mars?
The ultrarich are planning their exit from a dying planet. Christian apocalyptic theology has a different ending in mind.
An agnostic who out-Christianed the Christians
The 19th-century orator Robert Ingersoll denied God. But his answer to the question of human purpose strikes me as a pretty good one.
July 19, Ordinary 16A (Genesis 28:10–19a)
We all want to be Jacob, it seems, tagging the places we have been.
Are we in or out? (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23)
In Matthew, the actions of the community of faith do not affect the coming of the kingdom—but they do matter.
Missing the point (Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30)
Sometimes we walk into a situation open only to our own expectations and judgments.
July 5, Ordinary 14A (Romans 7:15–25a)
Paul may be the originator of the idea of an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other.
Praying for help (Psalm 13)
When life is overwhelming, the psalms offer a model for prayer.
Gospel women versus the theobros
The Gospel of Mark does not ask whether women are capable of faith. It asks whether anyone is prepared to hear and believe their testimony.