Imagine that today you are one of Jesus’ followers in the first century. You traveled a long way and arrived with several other followers to Jerusalem a few days ago. It is Passover, so the streets are jam packed with over 2 million pilgrims in a city that normally holds only 20,000 (according to the... Continue Reading →

A metaphor is a powerful image - a powerful figure of speech.  It is more than just saying one thing is another thing.  Sallie McFague, in her book Models of God, has this to say about a metaphor, "What a metaphor expresses cannot be said directly apart from it.  It is an attempt to say something... Continue Reading →

https://soundcloud.com/adeeperlook/the-parable-of-the-unforgiving-servant?si=c9fff88f8e634192999963f8ab1b0d2f&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing Many times in our scriptures Jesus seems to be pairing God’s forgiveness of us with our forgiveness of others. He says "The measure with which you measure will be measured back to you…” "Do not judge others, and God will not judge you"…Even in the Our Father, that we pray together each week, we... Continue Reading →

So. How are all those “New Year’s Resolution” style Lenten disciplines going? Have we failed to follow the diet, stick with the exercise regimen, and begun yelling at the kids again? If you, like me, are mourning how hard and fast your perseverance fizzled and are eating a great big piece of humble pie this... Continue Reading →

Theologian Fr. James Alison describes our common misunderstanding of Jesus' death like this: "We sinned and offended God, so God was angry with humanity and demanded justice or some kind of payment for our blunder. But humanity couldn't offer any kind of divine gift big enough to diffuse God's anger since we are just lowly... Continue Reading →

Rachel Held Evans wrote a terrific opinion piece in the Washington Post entitled “Want Millennials back in the pews? Stop trying to make church ‘cool.’  Here are some highlights:  “In the U.S, 59% of people ages 18 to 29 with a Christian background have stopped attending church. When asked why, 87% say they see Christians... Continue Reading →

A father suggested instead of giving up candy, as his children did every year, they should focus on giving up a bad habit or a sin; anything that hurt their relationships with others. His youngest son decided to give up fighting with his sister. When his Dad asked how he was doing on his Lenten... Continue Reading →