In so many ways, the way we live our lives is a witness to that sense of who we are. Our life is our witness, in that we testify about what we think is important. For the Hebrew people, by the time they had settled into life in the land that...

You know every time I read this story from Genesis, in fact every time a read just about any of the stories about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their family I really long for the blessings of families like the Anderson’s; you know Jim, Margaret, Bud, Kathy and Betty Anderson. Or...

The power of God is amazing when one think about the sheer numbers of creation in just the sky alone, the rest of creation not with standing. The numbers might be amazing, but where creation really shows the power of God is that by the first creation story in Genesis...

The story of Adam and Eve is often characterized as a fall from grace. Readers look at the parts played by each of the characters and conclude that it was the serpent who tricked Adam and Eve into disobeying God. While in one view that is true, in other view...

Paul’s life was a journey of many turns and twists that led him to the road to Damascus and his Jesus encounter. I suspect the same is true for all of you in faith. You are not where you are because of any one event, but because of a life...

The body of Christ is fueled by love, convicted by compassion and justice, and empowered by members with a multitude of gifts. Yoshi’s family was forced to MAKE IT SIMPLE because of dire circumstances and injustice, as were Jesus’ disciples. For the disciples then—and disciples now—Jesus prepared, sustained, and strengthened...

Many cancer patients tell the story of the day they were diagnosed. It’s typically a tough and memorable day. It’s a day when one must face the truth that life has changed, a day when the storm comes up on the lake. . . .

Jesus knew our tendency to want. Jesus knew that this heresy leaves us anxious and powerless. On this day in the gospel of Matthew, he decided to do a little pastoral care and values clarification with a whole crowd of people and he called for a renewal of the covenant...

Prayer is the most elusive practice of the Christian faith. On the one hand it is too often rote in that day after day we recite prayers paying little or no attention to the words, and on the other hand the mere utterance of voice directed towards God is life changing. On...

Last week we finished up with our readings from Job. We had spent a number of weeks walking through a Biblical story that is one of the foundational story of the Bible. Job and God seemingly at odds, one of the traditional interpretations, which gives way to the notion that...