Relating, Creating, Transforming
“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” — Simone Weil John 12:1–812 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. […]
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Luke 1:39-41; 46-49; 52,53 Let’s get this out of the way from the start. I know that for many, the stories about the birth of Jesus of Nazareth carry with them some pretty strong emotions and nostalgia. For some, this story can be confusing, maddening, and perhaps oppressive—depending on how religion [and your family] treated […]
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Luke 10:38-42 What makes you feel distracted? What distracts you from being your true self? Facundo Cabral, Argentine singer, songwriter, and philosopher (1937-2011), once wrote about distraction and depression. Here is an excerpt: You are not depressed; you are distracted. You believe that you have lost something, which is impossible, because everything that you have was […]
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Luke 24: 1-12 I’ll admit it. During this particular Holy Week and then, on Resurrection or “Easter” Sunday, I didn’t feel so up to painting eggs, eating candy, or singing hallelujah, Christ is risen! My role here is not to be a Debbie Downer–it’s just to be honest. I’m not up to it. Because, doesn’t […]
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John 12:1-11 Throughout these 40 days of Lent, I’ve been asking this question: What does it mean for me be truly myself? And I encourage you to do the same. While we ask that question of ourselves, we are journeying with the story in the Gospels, following Jesus’ own journey of self-discovery. Most of this […]
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John 2:1-11 Have you ever wanted to tantalize an audience with an amazing magic trick? How about showing off your miracle skills in front of a bunch of people? Would you like to turn water into wine? Yes, even you can be a miracle worker! Thanks, science! The Science of water into wine and wine […]
Read MoreJohn 20:19-31 The movie Philomena is based on the 2009 investigative book by British Broadcasting Corporation [BBC] correspondent Martin Sixsmith, entitled, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee. Philomena Lee, played by Judi Dench, is an older woman searching for her long-lost son. When Philomena was a young woman living in an Irish-Catholic community, she gave […]
Read MoreJohn 20:1-18 The monarch butterfly is an amazing creature. Every year hundreds of millions of monarch butterflies go on a great journey of up to 3000 miles in their annual migration from Canada and the United States to their wintering grounds in Mexico. Once they arrive in Mexico, the monarchs congregate in the oyamel […]
Read MoreJohn 11:1-45 Now look, I don’t know if you watch The Walking Dead on television or if you’re into zombie movies like Night of the Living Dead, REC, Dawn of the Dead, World War Z, or 28 Days Later. I am not sure if the idea of a once-dead human being rising from death to […]
Read MoreMatthew 1:18-25, NRSV 18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah[a] took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, […]
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