Tuesday Text, Sunday, September 30, 2018 “The king returned from the palace garden to the banquet room just as Haman was kneeling on the couch where Esther was reclining. “Will you even molest the queen while I am in the house?” Esther 7:8 Bent One of Methodism’s contributions to the world is Charles’ hymn, “Love… Continue Reading→

“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are being destroyed. But it is the power of God for those who are being saved.” (1 Cor. 1:18) What is Holy Cross Day? Holy Cross Day is a  major feast observed on Sept. 14 in honor of Christ’s self-offering on the cross for our… Continue Reading→

Jesus took him away from the crowd by himself and put his fingers in the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. Small Sanctuaries At least one theme that runs through Mark’s Gospel is Jesus’ preference for small sanctuaries. This week, Mark gives us two stories of healing: one that occurs in… Continue Reading→

James 1: 19 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger Non-Silence Silent Sam did not come down quietly last week. The images of the statue toppling down, the counter protests that ensued, and the counter-counter protests that reciprocated all swirled together, creating a cacophony of… Continue Reading→

When the immigrant comes and prays toward this temple, then listen from heaven, where you live, and do everything the immigrant asks. — 1 Kings 8: 42-43 Put on God’s armor so that you can make a stand against the tricks of the devil.— Ephesians 6:11 At this, many of his disciples turned away and no… Continue Reading→

“Then the Jews debated among themselves, asking, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Hocus Pocus This is where all the hocus pocus happens. This text has mystified countless, within and without the church, for as long as anyone can remember. What does Jesus mean when he says, “my flesh is the… Continue Reading→

2 Samuel 18:2-9, 15, 31-33 ”The forest devoured more soldiers than the sword that day.” In the end, it was the trees that got them. After all the training, all of the equipping, all of the preparation and meetings and strategizing and deploying and organizing to fight the enemy, it was the forest that swallowed… Continue Reading→