Matthew 10:40-42 [Jesus said:] “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and […]
John 14:8-12; 15-17; 25-27 It happens to me a lot. I’m performing in a show, a theatrical production, for the company I work for, called Without a Cue Productions. In our shows, unknowing audience members walk into a situation they probably didn’t expect. That is, if they don’t read the fine print. Our shows […]
Luke 4:21-30 Dear Readers, Quick question, and please be honest. Are you hearing any prophetic words, seeing any prophetic justice-action these days that are reaching across lines of difference, welcoming the marginalized, and standing up to hate and injustice and privilege? Are you? If so, please share in the comments. And now…Luke’s version of Jesus’ […]
Mark 9:38-41; 49-50 The Message (MSG) 38 John spoke up, “Teacher, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn’t in our group.” 39-41 Jesus wasn’t pleased. “Don’t stop him. No one can use my name to do something good and powerful, and in the next breath cut me down. […]
I Corinthians 13 Love is patient, love is kind… You’ve probably heard this text before. Weddings? Yeah. Not gonna lie—it’s a bit overused. And misused. So let’s discuss, no? I Corinthians is Paul of Tarsus’ first letter to a faith community in Corinth. Is it relevant? That depends on how deep you’re willing to go. […]
Mark 1:21-39 Let’s talk demons, afflictions, identity and love. Cool with you? Okay, first, a story about Jesus of Nazareth. He’s making his way to Capernaum–perhaps the most important and well-connected community in the region of Galilee. There was a temple there, and Jesus was about to darken its door. Mark’s Gospel is the speed […]
Matthew 16:13-20 So you’re at a party or social engagement of some sort. You don’t know everybody there. Whether introvert or extrovert, at some point in the evening you inevitably encounter someone you don’t know. You make eye contact. Let the social awkwardness begin! You: Hello. I’m _________ Person: Nice to meet you, I’m _______ […]
Matthew 15:21-28 What do you think about miracles? As I mentioned before, when it comes to miracles, I think it is most helpful for us to avoid asking did the miracle really happen? Instead, we ought to ask: what does a miracle story mean? By asking that second question, we will be truer to the […]
Matthew 9:35 – 38 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he […]