By Corey Fields It’s a story that has stuck with me ever since I heard it. When I was in high school, I had a mentor and Bible study leader who went to Honduras every year with her undergrad students….
A sweet fragrance rising before the throne of God
By Joe LaGuardia Reflecting on the fragility of life and the significance of gratitude, the poet of Psalm 39 wrote, “Hear my prayer, O Lord … for I am your passing guest, a sojourner, like my ancestors” (v. 12). This…
Being content
By Jonathan Waits Have you ever been in a place where you were totally content? That’s a hard place to be. It goes against our natural inclinations. Our natural lean is to constantly reach and strive for whatever is the…
What if your city’s history were projected on your church?
By Mark Wingfield In San Antonio, Texas, the façade of the historic San Fernando Cathedral has become the backdrop for a public art installation. A 24-minute video projection with music depicts the history of San Antonio by drawing and redrawing…
A fair Christmas
By LeDayne McLeese Polaski “It’s not fair!” If you are a parent, you likely hear this several times a day — everything from dessert sizes to bedtimes are occasions for children to spot real or imagined unfairness. The truth is,…
The biblical reality of refugees
By Alan Rudnick As terrorist attacks impacted cities around the world like Paris and Beirut, we have learned that some of the terrorists falsely used refugee status to cross borders. As refugees continue to leave Syria in massive numbers, Republican…
The story of the poor widow and giving, taxation and deep faith
By Chuck Queen What are we to make of the Gospel story of the poor widow who put in the temple treasury all she had to live on (Mark 12:41-44)? In the previous Markan paragraph Jesus denounces the self-righteousness of…
Supergirl — or Relative-girl?
By Jonathan Waits So I’ve probably mentioned before that I’m a sucker for superhero fare. I don’t just go see all the movies, if possible; I buy a copy when they release them to the public. I have all the…
Looking for signs of the future
By Bill Prather This article is based on a Nov. 15 sermon from Mark 13:1-8, the Revised Common Lectionary text following the terrorist attacks in Paris. I have to confess that I’m not a big fan of disaster movies. I…
The neighbor in me
By Nell Green They are all around us. They come from places other than the United States. They talk differently. They dress differently. They eat differently. They go to school with our children. They are our doctors and nurses. They…
Trust in Jesus, except with wealth
By Seth Vopat When in doubt, turn to the Gospels. Uncertain where to go, trust in Jesus. The red letters — which is Christian language for words attributed to Jesus — will show you how to follow. Except for when…
Dad’s ‘Heart Shield’ Bible: A Veterans Day reflection
At right is the image of my Dad’s “Heart Shield” Bible, an edition of the New Testament on to which a metal plate has been attached. The engraved cover, now smudged by corrosion, reads “May this keep you safe from…