Remembering Our Core Story

Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. . . . When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took[read more]

What The Living Do

When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.  “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands,[read more]

Overcoming Disconnection

Reading today in Matthew of yet another lack of communication between the chief priests and the elders and Jesus is a reminder of how difficult true communication and connection is for us. The longer we live out our experience of life the more we savor the moments of true communication and communion and the more we suffer so often when we remain at a distance and disconnected from others, even those we most desire to know and be known by.[read more]

Love and Courage

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written:  “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through[read more]

A Love Common To All

Globally speaking we live in an anxious time. While we had once expected that technology would make of us a “global village” and then later on with the fall of the Soviet Union that we had arrived at “the end of history,” we discover our world politics seem governed more than ever by nationalism and xenophobia. Despite the fact that we are growing in information about the world, we seem to be feeling more and more that we are strangers to each other.[read more]

Possessions or Conversation

Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.  Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support them if they stayed together; their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.  There were quarrels between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and those[read more]

Holding All In Common

The community of believers was of one  heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.  With great power the Apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all.  There was no needy person among[read more]

One New Person in Place of the Two

For Christ is our peace, He made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his Flesh, abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile both with God, in one Body,[read more]

Re-reading Our Lives

When the king heard the contents of the book of the law, he tore his garments and issued this command . . . “Go consult the Lord for me, for the people, for all Judah, about the stipulations of this book that has been found, for the anger of the Lord has been set furiously[read more]

Why Are You Here?

After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.  When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.  A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?” 1 Kings 19: 12-13 It is a beautiful morning here in greater Baltimore. As I awoke,[read more]