"I desire mercy, not sacrifice.  I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." (Matthew 9:13)|The sun rises.  Another day embarks with household tasks followed by the trek to the field, school, factory, office, or ...

The Greatest Commandments|Like a crowd betting on the next race, they circled Jesus to put him to the test. Lawyers, teachers, and priests, they would snare the carpenter's son. They were educated and respected. Jesus ...

I Will Find You Moses told them, "This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat."  (Exodus 16:15)|The wise remind us:  money and wealth do not bring happiness.  Some days we listen and know this to be true.  Then ...

A Different Kind of King "The king…shall defend the afflicted among the people, save the children of the poor." (Psalm 72: 4)|Where are you from?  This question often arises in talk among strangers.  Hometown, region, ...

More Than We Can Measure|Gideon pledged: I will not rule over the Israelites, nor will my sons. There is no king but Yahweh. But his son did not listen. Abimelech was the lowly buckthorn that set the forest burning. A ...

Ash Wednesday| |Ash Wednesday. No trumpets blow. Still we show up. Some try to hide their ashes. Sometimes the smudge stays while we're at work. The journey of Lent has begun.|We're only human. At the end of most days, we ...

For Love of this World "From the dunghill he lifts up the poor." (Psalm 113:7) What do we call home?  For some, we move out into the world to find our own way.  Home is left behind or maybe lies in the future.  For others, ...

To See More Clearly|Jesus knows us well. How we take peculiar satisfaction in delving into others' lives. We scrutinize their weakness and prescribe remedies. Behind this well-intentioned concern is another story. Jesus ...

Come Back to Life "You will grieve, but your grief will become joy." (John 16: 20) "You who were lost have now been found."  Paul rammed into the Spirit and his old convictions crumbled.  With God's help, he was freed from ...

The "Show Me" People ||"When shall I go and behold the face of God?" (Psalm 42:3) |Naaman, a military commander, was used to giving orders. The slave girl, who had been captured by his army, showed kindness toward her ...